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Law on accessing a watershed lake.

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 10:07 pm
by bigbeeducker
Here is the deal. There is a watershed lake outside Tupelo city limits, we often put my boat in it just to run the mud motor. Noone has ever said anything to us about it. We went today and an old man came up and said we were running on his water and that he owned the water so we couldnt get on it. We were not on his land and he admitted that. He believes that he actually owns the water in the creek that leads down to the lake. I talked to several people who own houses on the lake and they said that it was most definately a public lake. Whos right? Does anyone know what the law says, and where i can find that law.

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2005 10:21 pm
by Dutch Dog
I am not sure where, but somewhere if it is a public lake there will be records of exactly where their boundaries are. You should be able to tell where you are running your motor vs where the lakes boundaries are on the map. A good place to start would be the local tax office. They should have aerial photos with landowners boundaries superimposed on it.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 8:19 am
by Got Chocolate?
we appreciate it dutch dog, me and the bigbeeducker will get on that today.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2005 10:19 am
by Po Monkey Lounger
Assuming it is a "watershed lake", then it is likely public, but access to the lake would have to be with the permission of a landowner owning land adjacent to the lake.

Question: Were you in the lake? Or in the feeder creek? The creek may not be public.

Like suggested above, a good place to start would be the tax assessor's office and the maps they have of the lake and surrounding landowners.

Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2005 4:09 pm
by Don Miller
Don't worry bout it. Tell the old man to kiss your ass. A tresspass ticket is cheap. :twisted: :twisted:

Posted: Sat Aug 13, 2005 9:19 am
by iron grip
Don Miller wrote:Don't worry bout it. Tell the old man to kiss your !@#. A tresspass ticket is cheap. :twisted: :twisted:


:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 9:03 am
by Po Monkey Lounger
Todd, if you plan to enter any type of profession after school, etc., then DO NOT listen to Don Miller. :lol: :lol: While perhaps "cheap" from a pocket book standpoint, a trespass ticket could hurt your future career ---although a misdemeanor, it is considered an intentional, wilful criminal act that can be a barrier toward entering a profession.

Now, if you have no future plans of the sort mentioned above, then there is a certain amount of truth and wisdom in the comments of ol Don .:wink:

Posted: Mon Aug 15, 2005 8:50 pm
by bigbeeducker
Monkey, you know I try not to be gettin into no trouble. It turns out the old man is just a set in his ways dick. Just have to find somewhere else to run the thing.

Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2005 10:44 am
by RedEyed Duck
So we found out the old man is set in his ways. Did we find out that you were on his land or not? Just curious.

Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2005 10:55 am
by Got Chocolate?
we werent on his land. we were on county property.

Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2005 11:09 am
by Don Miller
Dynamite his mail box, that'll teach the old "illegitimate child" not to mess you boys!
:twisted: :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2005 11:20 am
by bigwater
save me a stick of that there dynamite.. gotta hole over in the hills that the duk professor says.. "all i need is a stick of dynamotie"..


don,, isn't that the first rule of the ms duk hunters almanac..

rule #1 always carry at least one stick of dynamite with ya..
rule # 2 always carry $1,000 in cash on your being..

Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2005 12:07 pm
by cajun squealer
Po Monkey Lounger wrote:---although a misdemeanor, it is considered an intentional, wilful criminal act that can be a barrier toward entering a profession.


...Unless you want to go to law school! Then you could list "courtroom experience" on your resume! :shock: 8)

Max, you just gotta look at both sides of the coin! :wink:

Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2005 9:59 pm
by Po Monkey Lounger
Cajun, thats pretty darn funny. :lol: But, for some reason, I don't think the State Bar would find the humor in it. :wink:

I have to be very careful for this reason. That is why I hunt with a bunch of outlaws ---I live vicariously wild and reckless through them. :lol: :lol:

Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2005 10:09 pm
by cajun squealer
Po Monkey Lounger wrote:I have to be very careful for this reason. That is why I hunt with a bunch of outlaws ---I live vicariously wild and reckless through them. :lol: :lol:


You and me both, brother. You and me both. :lol:

The way I see it: At least when you're part of the "y'all" in "Hey, y'all. Watch this!", you've got a marginal chance of living to tell the story. 8)