2002 Legislation
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HOUSE BILL NO. 565 – Ditches/canals, use, consent

HOUSE BILL NO. 565

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Daily Data Tracking History



H0565aa,aa....................................by RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION
DITCHES - CANALS - Amends existing law to make recreational use of ditches,
canals, laterals and drains a misdemeanor where such use is prohibited by
the owner or managing agent; and to provide that such ditches, canals,
laterals and drains are not navigable streams.
                                                                        
02/06    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/07    Rpt prt - to Res/Con
02/28    Rpt out - to Gen Ord
    Rpt out amen - to engros
03/01    Rpt engros - 1st rdg - to 2nd rdg as amen
    To Gen Ord
03/05    Rpt out amen - to engros
03/06    Rpt engros - 1st rdg - to 2nd rdg as amen
03/06    1st rdg - to 2nd rdg as amen
    Rls susp - PASSED - 60-6-4
      AYES -- Aikele, Barraclough, Barrett, Bedke, Bell, Bieter, Black,
      Block, Boe, Bolz, Bradford, Bruneel, Callister, Campbell, Collins,
      Crow, Cuddy, Deal, Denney, Ellis, Ellsworth, Eskridge, Field(13),
      Field(20), Gould, Hammond, Henbest, Higgins, Hornbeck, Jaquet, Jones,
      Kellogg(Duncan), Kunz, Lake, Langford, Loertscher, Mader, Martinez,
      Meyer, Mortensen, Moyle, Pearce, Pischner, Pomeroy, Raybould,
      Ridinger, Roberts, Robison, Schaefer, Shepherd, Smith(33), Smylie,
      Stevenson, Stone, Tilman, Trail, Wheeler, Wood, Young, Mr. Speaker
      NAYS -- Hadley, Harwood, Kendell, McKague, Sali, Smith(23)
      Absent and excused -- Clark, Gagner, Montgomery, Sellman
    Floor Sponsor - Moyle
    Title apvd - to Senate
03/07    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to Res/Env
03/14    Rpt out - to 14th Ord

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
 Fifty-sixth Legislature                  Second Regular Session - 2002
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                                                        
                                     HOUSE BILL NO. 565
                                                                        
                          BY RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO THE USE OF DITCHES, CANALS AND DRAINS; AMENDING CHAPTER 43,  TITLE
  3        18,  IDAHO  CODE, BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 18-4311, IDAHO CODE, TO
  4        PROHIBIT THE USE OF DITCHES, CANALS AND DRAINS WITHOUT EXPRESS CONSENT  OR
  5        AUTHORITY;  AND  AMENDING  SECTION  36-1601,  IDAHO  CODE, TO PROVIDE THAT
  6        DITCHES, CANALS AND DRAINS ARE NOT NAVIGABLE STREAMS AND TO  PROVIDE  THAT
  7        RECREATIONAL USE IS NOT AUTHORIZED AND TO MAKE A TECHNICAL CORRECTION.
                                                                        
  8    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
  9        SECTION  1.  That  Chapter  43,  Title 18, Idaho Code, be, and the same is
 10    hereby amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and  des-
 11    ignated as Section 18-4311, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:
                                                                        
 12        18-4311.  THIRD  PARTY  USE  OF  DITCHES, CANALS AND DRAINS. Any person or
 13    persons who shall, without the express consent or authority of  the  owner  or
 14    managing  agent, swim, wade, boat, float, dive, play within the water, or con-
 15    duct any other activity within the inside slopes of a ditch,  canal  or  drain
 16    that  is  the  property  of another person, irrigation district, drainage dis-
 17    trict, canal company, corporation or association of persons, shall  be  guilty
 18    of a misdemeanor.
                                                                        
 19        SECTION  2.  That  Section 36-1601, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
 20    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 21        36-1601.  PUBLIC WATERS -- HIGHWAYS FOR RECREATION. (a) Navigable  Streams
 22    Defined.  Any  stream  which,  in its natural state, during normal high water,
 23    will float cut timber having a diameter in excess of six  (6)  inches  or  any
 24    other  commercial  or  floatable commodity or is capable of being navigated by
 25    oar or motor propelled small craft for pleasure or commercial purposes is nav-
 26    igable. Ditches, canals and drains that are used for  irrigation  or  drainage
 27    purposes are not navigable streams.
 28        (b)  Recreational  Use  Authorized.  Navigable  rivers, sloughs or streams
 29    within the meander lines or, when not meandered, between  the  flow  lines  of
 30    ordinary  high  water  thereof,  and  all  rivers, sloughs and streams flowing
 31    through any public lands of the state shall be open to public use as a  public
 32    highway  for  travel  and passage, up or downstream, for business or pleasure,
 33    and to exercise the incidents of navigation  --  boating,  swimming,  fishing,
 34    hunting  and  all recreational purposes. Recreational use is not authorized in
 35    any ditch, canal or drain that is used for irrigation or drainage purposes.
 36        (c)  Access Limited to Navigable Stream. Nothing  herein  contained  shall
 37    authorize  the  entering  on  or crossing over private land at any point other
 38    than within the high water lines of navigable streams except that where  irri-
 39    gation dams or other obstructions interfere with the navigability of a stream,
 40    members of the public may remove themselves and their boats, floats, canoes or
 41    other  floating  crafts from the stream and walk or portage such crafts around
                                                                        
                                           2
                                                                        
  1    said obstruction re-entering reentering  the  stream  immediately  below  such
  2    obstruction at the nearest point where it is safe to do so.

Amendment


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
 Fifty-sixth Legislature                  Second Regular Session - 2002
                                                                        
                                                                        
                                                     Moved by    Stevenson           
                                                                        
                                                     Seconded by Wheeler             
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                        HOUSE AMENDMENT TO H.B. NO. 565, As Amended
                                                                        
  1                                AMENDMENT TO SECTION 1
  2        On page 1 of the engrossed bill, in line 16, following "owner" insert: "or
  3    managing agent".
                                                                        
  4                                 CORRECTION TO TITLE
  5        On page 1, in line 5, following "OWNER" insert: "OR MANAGING AGENT".

Engrossed Bill (Original Bill with Amendment(s) Incorporated)


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
 Fifty-sixth Legislature                  Second Regular Session - 2002
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                                                        
                         HOUSE BILL NO. 565, As Amended, As Amended
                                                                        
                          BY RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO THE USE OF DITCHES, CANALS, LATERALS AND DRAINS; AMENDING  CHAPTER
  3        43,  TITLE 18, IDAHO CODE, BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 18-4311, IDAHO
  4        CODE, TO MAKE RECREATIONAL USE OF DITCHES, CANALS, LATERALS AND  DRAINS  A
  5        MISDEMEANOR  WHERE  SUCH USE IS PROHIBITED BY THE OWNER OR MANAGING AGENT;
  6        AND AMENDING SECTION 36-1601, IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE THAT DITCHES, CANALS,
  7        LATERALS AND DRAINS ARE NOT NAVIGABLE STREAMS AND TO MAKE A TECHNICAL COR-
  8        RECTION.
                                                                        
  9    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
 10        SECTION 1.  That Chapter 43, Title 18, Idaho Code, be,  and  the  same  is
 11    hereby  amended by the addition thereto of a NEW SECTION, to be known and des-
 12    ignated as Section 18-4311, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:
                                                                        
 13        18-4311.  RECREATIONAL USE OF DITCHES, CANALS,  LATERALS  AND  DRAINS.  It
 14    shall  be  a  misdemeanor for any person or persons to swim, wade, raft, tube,
 15    water ski, boat, float, dive, play, or  conduct  any  other  recreational  use
 16    within  the  water  inside slopes of a ditch, canal, lateral or drain when the
 17    owner or managing agent of the ditch, canal, lateral or drain  prohibits  such
 18    use and either posts notice of the prohibition on signs spaced at intervals of
 19    not  less  than  one  (1)  per  six hundred sixty (660) feet along such ditch,
 20    canal, lateral or drain, or publishes notice of the prohibition in a newspaper
 21    having general circulation in the county in which the ditch, canal, lateral or
 22    drain is located at least once a week for four (4) consecutive weeks and files
 23    such published notice with the county clerk.
                                                                        
 24        SECTION 2.  That Section 36-1601, Idaho Code, be, and the same  is  hereby
 25    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
 26        36-1601.  PUBLIC  WATERS -- HIGHWAYS FOR RECREATION. (a) Navigable Streams
 27    Defined. Any stream which, in its natural state,  during  normal  high  water,
 28    will  float  cut  timber  having a diameter in excess of six (6) inches or any
 29    other commercial or floatable commodity or is capable of  being  navigated  by
 30    oar or motor propelled small craft for pleasure or commercial purposes is nav-
 31    igable. Ditches, canals, laterals and drains that are constructed and used for
 32    irrigation or drainage purposes are not navigable streams.
 33        (b)  Recreational  Use  Authorized.  Navigable  rivers, sloughs or streams
 34    within the meander lines or, when not meandered, between  the  flow  lines  of
 35    ordinary  high  water  thereof,  and  all  rivers, sloughs and streams flowing
 36    through any public lands of the state shall be open to public use as a  public
 37    highway  for  travel  and passage, up or downstream, for business or pleasure,
 38    and to exercise the incidents of navigation  --  boating,  swimming,  fishing,
 39    hunting and all recreational purposes.
 40          (c)  Access  Limited to Navigable Stream. Nothing herein contained shall
 41    authorize the entering on or crossing over private land  at  any  point  other
                                                                        
                                           2
                                                                        
  1    than  within the high water lines of navigable streams except that where irri-
  2    gation dams or other obstructions interfere with the navigability of a stream,
  3    members of the public may remove themselves and their boats, floats, canoes or
  4    other floating crafts from the stream and walk or portage such  crafts  around
  5    said  obstruction  re-entering  reentering  the  stream immediately below such
  6    obstruction at the nearest point where it is safe to do so.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


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                   STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
                                                   
                      RS 11836A1
                                                   
                                                   
The amendment would clarify that the use of ditches, canals, 
laterals and drains for recreation would be prohibited only if 
such use is prohibited by the owner of the ditch, canal, lateral 
or drain and notice is provided to the public through posted notices 
or newspaper publication and recordation with the county.
                                                                    
                                                                    
                       FISCAL IMPACT
None.
                                                                    
Contact
Name:   Norm Semanko, Idaho Water Users Association
Phone:  (208) 344-6690
     



STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE              Bill No. 565