Rapids

in ok, is it legal for a land owner to string barbed wire across a river running through his land to keep you?

from going down the fiver on a boat?

Public Comments

1. First of all, this is spectacularly dangerous should someone not see it. Second, it depends on the river. Many are public waterways, so you have absolutely no right to do this if it is.
2. No.
3. If you would be tresspassing on his private land, he has every right to erect a fence.He must allow water to pass through unimpeded, not strangers.
4. this has been debated, if the owner own both sides possibly but last i heard in my state it is ok to float through but it is not federal law so who knows.
5. If he doesn't own the damn river, then no.
6. To find that answer you must go to the courthouse (or where ever they hold deeds in OK) to pull a copy of his deed to the land and find out if he has water rights. If he does then he can do what ever he wants with the water running through his land.If you go to the clerks office they will help you pull a copy of the deed if you dont know how to do it yourself.
7. You don't mention a state but in mine, California, the land owner does not own the river, the state does. The land owner owns the land.
8. You could build fencing across the land so someone cannot park the boat and come on your property but I doubt if you can build a fence ACROSS THE RIVER. As the river would start on public land and would be continuing to go through your property on public land. I doubt you can build a fence across it. It would be tantamount to building a fence across a public road which was passing through your land. You can build a fence across the road through the entire stretch of the road or in this case river but you cannot build a fence across the road or in this case across the water from one side of the river to the other side.