ATHENS — Recent recommendations made by a Georgia House of Representatives study committee have raised concerns among the state’s river enthusiasts who say that, if acted upon by the full legislature, the recommendations could greatly curtail Georgians’ longstanding freedom to recreate on Georgia’s rivers and streams.
Tasked with clarifying where Georgians can legally fish on the state’s freshwater streams, the House Study Committee on Fishing Access to Freshwater Resources issued recommendations in November calling on the state to determine and delineate the “navigability” of each of Georgia’s rivers and streams based on a restrictive definition of navigability that dates to 1863 and is geared toward supporting barge traffic, not paddling.
The Gwinnett Daily Post is a daily newspaper published in Gwinnett County, Georgia, and serves as the county's legal organ. The newspaper is owned by Times-Journal Inc. and prints Wednesday and Sunday each week.