Click the link to read the article on the Colorado Politics website (Marianne Goodland). Here’s an excerpt:
September 10, 2025
Two new studies from the Common Sense Institute focus on the economic costs of wolf restoration and on what could be an upcoming battle at the state Capitol — the right to float. That latter is a belief that anyone using a public waterway may also have the right to access private property that runs along it…The think tank held a forum on Tuesday [September 9, 2025] to discuss both issues, along with a trio of panelists who have a particular interest in both. Greg Walcher, who headed the Department of Natural Resources under Gov. Bill Owens and one of the authors of the “right to float” study, pointed out that Colorado treats the issue differently than other states. That’s partly because Colorado law dictates land under the water, known as the streambed, belongs to the adjacent landowner. That also means stream embankments are private, Walcher said. The study pointed out that wading on private property, which could include anchoring a boat or other floatation device or portaging across private land to access the water, is considered trespassing…Most large rivers in Colorado are surrounded by public land, so the issue of public access doesn’t arise. It’s the hundreds of smaller streams that cross private land where the issue most often resides…
The issue has divided individuals who recreate in Colorado’s waterways and those who own the land adjacent to those waterways. That becomes even more important at a time when Colorado is increasingly becoming a recreation economy. Walcher explained that recreation generates billions of dollars in economic activity, tied to the state’s natural resources, including its bodies of water. The CSI study is the first of three to look at the issue, one that is expected to surface in the General Assembly next year, and potentially as a ballot measure for 2026.
