Bam -

It's called "State's Rights."

Utah decided a long time ago that state waters would be available to be utilized for recreation, including the streambed, in lawful ways where no injury would be done to the adjoining property / streambed owner. Navagability is not necessarily an issue under Utah law, according to this decision.

Idaho has more liberal law. All navagable water is open to the normal high water mark, including the streambed. Navagable is generally defined as water that will float a log, something like six feet long and a foot in diameter, as I recall. Given the importance of the timber industry here, that made sense, and the law and the tradition stand.

Wyoming is one of the State's whose Rights are still different. You can float but not wade, because WY law has to do with a "right of floatation" not a right to "utilize" the waters of the state, as in Utah.

Two points -

First, if you don't like the "Law of the Land" you can choose to live in another State whose "Rights" you prefer.

Second, I completely agree with you about the problems a lot of landowners face with some intrusive, discourteous, abusive members of the public. A couple of my farmer friends have similar problems with people crossing their land, with or without permission, to get to the public waters.

But that doesn't strike me so much as what the law is in a particular place. It's more a matter of courtesy and responsibility at the personal level.

It hasn't come up in Idaho or any of the other Western States, as far as I know, that private property rights are going by the boards, as you seem to think might happen in your neck of the woods. Hope it doesn't really happen there, or we will have the rant of all RANTS, right ??!! ( I'll even join in on your side of that rant. )

John