Iowa river laws

[necoon]

I'm kicking around the idea of running a river line in Iowa this fall. My question is where is the best place to look for the laws pertaining to rivers. I know in some states you can float thru without permission until you step out then you need permission etc. etc.

Any help on this would be appreciated.

[jlanduyt]

All I can tell you is contact the DNR or maybe a copy of Trapping regs. The only drawback I can see about that is water levels, but that could change by season.

[jbruegge]

On the Iowa dnr website, do a search for "meandered rivers" read up on that and it should answer most of your questions. Basically, as long as its considered meandered, you're good to set traps, walk around, camp on sandbars, etc as long as you are below the ordinary high water line. Non-meandered, you will need landowner permission.

[jlanduyt]

And there aren't very many "meandering" rivers in Iowa. I know the Iowa, Cedar and the Des Moines are classified as meandering, there may be others but you'd have to look it up.

[necoon]

Thanks guys.

Yes the one I want to run is not a meandering river so it looks like ill be knocking on some doors.

[robmelton]

well the boyer river is not on that list but there are at least 2 known "public river access" places in crawford county. so is it public or not?

according to the dnr website the boyer would be classified as a navigable water and thus open to the public for fishing, hunting, ect.

[jbruegge]

Mar 26, 2013 21:20:51 GMT -6 robmelton said:

well the boyer river is not on that list but there are at least 2 known "public river access" places in crawford county. so is it public or not?

according to the dnr website the boyer would be classified as a navigable water and thus open to the public for fishing, hunting, ect.

If it is MEANDERED, it is considered public land below the high water line. You can hunt, fish, trap, camp, etc as long as you are below the high water line. Above that you would be trespassing.

If it is NON-MEANDERED, but NAVIGABLE, you can take your boat up or down it and fish. The landowner owns the bottom of the river. The water is still public. You can only hunt or trap with landowner permission. As long as it is navigable (defined as a stream "which can support a vessel capable of carrying one or more persons during a total of a six-month period in one out of every ten years."), you can do "activities incidental to navigation". This means you can float it, or step out and wade, and also would be allowed to fish.

This all came from www.iowadnr.gov/Recreation/CanoeingKayaking/PaddlerResources/InstructionSafety.aspx

[necoon]

So as it goes with most things like this there are definite gray areas. The DNR website does have some good info on the classifications of rivers and streams.

Looks like ill start with a call to the local CO.

Thanks for the help.

[TRapper]

some rivers you have to have permission on whatever side of the river you are setting on, you can float and fish but if you place equipment there you have to have permission from the landowner that has the land on each side you set on. south skunk river is like that