NAVIGABLE WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES BY DEFINITION UNDER 33 CFR 2.36(A)(1) OR (2): These waters include the territorial seas of the United States and all internal waters of the United States that are subject to tidal influence......
.......and/or are presently used, or have been used in the past, or may be susceptible for use to transport interstate or foreign commerce.
When guiding in the Tikchik Lakes region of Southwest Alaska, all guides that worked the Nushagak River were required to have a current license (6-Pack).
We all took a two day course in Anchorage and were issued our license but were told it wasn't necessary for those strictly working inland waters..
As the description states.
Everything I read other than the description for 'navigable waters' is contrary to what we were told.
It'd be interesting for me to hear others opinions on the matter.
It's confusing at best.
This was a big deal in 1980 when the ANILCA act was established. The state rivers were researched to determine if they were navigated at some point by the natives.
Mostly a bunch of horse schit, but the natives decided the ground under the rivers had no value and did not claim it, worked out good for us white boys as it allowed access to mean high water. I think they could claim X amount of acres and saw no value in the underlaying land, might I see greed was the driver.
For those without thumbs, it's s Garden fookin Island, not Hawaii
