Brief history lesson. In Georgia the beds of NAVIGABLE rivers belong to the state. The state got them from the King of England and the King of England got them from God.
For the purposes of this discussion, navigable rivers in Georgia are rivers below the fall line and portions of the rivers that flow directly to the Atlantic. For example the Ocumulgee is "navigable" to Macon, the Oconee is "navigable" to Dublin.
The consequence of this historic fact is that because the state owned the riverbed, you a citizen of said state, could do about anything you wanted to do in or on said river. (Please don't skew this discussion off to non-navigable rivers, those above the fall line)
You could wade, swim, fish, explore, camp out, look for mussels, or anything else as long as you were between the banks of a navigable river.
Now the Georgia Legislature, in its rush to screw as many citizens as it can, has passed a bill, which is on its way to the governator, the abandon the State of Georgia's claim to those riverbanks.
On the lower Chattahoochee, Flint, Savannah, Ogeechee, Altamaha and so on, you will not be able to anchor a boat, wade, swim, camp out, or engage in any other activity that involves touching the bed of the river. So if you want to anchor up and catfish on any of these rivers, you will not be able to do so without the permission of the adjoining landowner, If you want to camp out on a sandbar, you will not be able to do so without the permission of the adjoining landowner. If you want to walk the shoals to fish or just cause, you will not be able to do so without the permission of the adjoining landowner.
The legislature is making a big deal that you can still hunt, fish, and have a "right of passage" - all of which is true as long as you don't need to do anything that touches the bottom of the river.
This a scandal that ranks right up there with the Yazoo Land Fraud (look it up).
The bill is HB 1172, and it's on it's way to the governor, who has never seen a big money bill he didn't like, and will probably sign it. This is a bill that has absolutely no "public interest" and is a colossal giveaway of a public asset whose value cannot be estimated.
For the purposes of this discussion, navigable rivers in Georgia are rivers below the fall line and portions of the rivers that flow directly to the Atlantic. For example the Ocumulgee is "navigable" to Macon, the Oconee is "navigable" to Dublin.
The consequence of this historic fact is that because the state owned the riverbed, you a citizen of said state, could do about anything you wanted to do in or on said river. (Please don't skew this discussion off to non-navigable rivers, those above the fall line)
You could wade, swim, fish, explore, camp out, look for mussels, or anything else as long as you were between the banks of a navigable river.
Now the Georgia Legislature, in its rush to screw as many citizens as it can, has passed a bill, which is on its way to the governator, the abandon the State of Georgia's claim to those riverbanks.
On the lower Chattahoochee, Flint, Savannah, Ogeechee, Altamaha and so on, you will not be able to anchor a boat, wade, swim, camp out, or engage in any other activity that involves touching the bed of the river. So if you want to anchor up and catfish on any of these rivers, you will not be able to do so without the permission of the adjoining landowner, If you want to camp out on a sandbar, you will not be able to do so without the permission of the adjoining landowner. If you want to walk the shoals to fish or just cause, you will not be able to do so without the permission of the adjoining landowner.
The legislature is making a big deal that you can still hunt, fish, and have a "right of passage" - all of which is true as long as you don't need to do anything that touches the bottom of the river.
This a scandal that ranks right up there with the Yazoo Land Fraud (look it up).
The bill is HB 1172, and it's on it's way to the governor, who has never seen a big money bill he didn't like, and will probably sign it. This is a bill that has absolutely no "public interest" and is a colossal giveaway of a public asset whose value cannot be estimated.
