![]() ![]() For example, the Wild section of the Rogue River is managed by BLM and requires a permit during certain parts of the year. While the Rogue River lies entirely inside Oregon, portions are managed by the US Forest Service, US Bureau of Reclamation, and the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM). If you're interested in the legal issues surrounding public waterway use in the US, that case will provide ample reading. ![]() This whole mess is currently being adjudicated by the Oregon Supreme Court. Police have made it clear they consider the lake public and are not going to pursue charges against anyone using the lake. Lake Oswego Corporation says that only applies to navigable waterways and according to the Federal Water Resources Development Act the lake is not navigable. While the corporation does own the lakebed, the Oregon Attorney General says they don't own the water, it's owned by the public and the public has a right to access. The Lake Oswego Corporation likes to claim it owns Oswego Lake and the Lake Oswego City Council claims it can bar anyone entry. During your 8.4 mile paddle you will go under four bridges. At the beginning of your trip, you will see old bridge piers, have views of the Columbia courthouse, and see the riverwalk park. Smith (1869) upheld that "Every person has an undoubted right to use a public highway, whether upon land or water, for all legitimate purposes of trade and transportation." Case closed, anyone can use waterways, right? Average paddling time: 5 to 7 hours in a canoe or kayak Description of Route: This section of the Duck River flows through downtown Columbia. In Oregon ORS 537.110 flatly states "All water within the state from all sources of water supply belongs to the public." and Weise v. Here's some examples in my home state of Oregon. Multiple overlapping laws and agencies can apply at each level. Water use, like everything else in the US, is a patchwork of Federal, State, and Local regulations plus quasi-legal muscle. ![]()
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