Utah Stream Access Coalition’s Weber River Navigability Case goes to trial this Friday, February 6, at the Matheson Courthouse in Salt Lake City.
And if flyfishing on public waters without the fear of being harassed sounds good, this is an important and potentially precedent setting case. For instance, by demonstrating that the Weber River was used as a “highway of commerce” prior to and at the time of statehood—based on historical evidence—access advocates intend to prove that its beds are the property of the State. And, thus, held in trust for the public.
“The legislature will not take up the stream access issue without a ruling from the courts, however, it is entirely possible that we will have a ruling on the Weber case by the end of the session [which runs through March 12],” says the coalition.
“We need you to open lines of communication with your Representative and Senator so that, if the opportunity arises, we can quickly and efficiently mobilize support for HB108.”
Take a minute, right now, to look up your legislators and tell them that as a constituent, Stream Access is important to you, and that they should Support HB108. Click here: http://le.utah.gov/GIS/findDistrict.jsp
Tom Bie is the founder, editor, and publisher of The Drake. He started the magazine in 1998 as an annual newsprint publication based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He then moved it to Steamboat, Colorado (1999), Boulder, Colorado (2001), and San Clemente, California (2004), as he took jobs as managing editor at Paddler, Senior Editor at Skiing, and Editor-in-Chief at Powder, respectively. Tom and The Drake are now both based in Denver, Colorado, where The Drake is finally all grows up(Swingers, 1996) to a quarterly magazine.