Loading chat...
GA HB1397
Bill
Status
Introduced
2/22/2024
Primary Sponsor
James Burchett
Click for details
AI Summary
- Amends Chapter 8 of Title 44 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (water rights) by adding new Code section 44-8-5.1 to establish a statutory list of streams presumed to be navigable
- Designates 64 specific streams and parts of streams across Georgia—including major waterways such as the Altamaha, Chattahoochee, Savannah, Flint, Ocmulgee, and Oconee Rivers—as presumptively navigable
- Each listed stream includes a defined starting point (e.g., a highway crossing, confluence, or state boundary) from which the navigability presumption applies downstream
- The presumption of navigability applies in any judicial or administrative proceeding where a stream's navigable status is at issue, shifting the burden of proof in such disputes
- Two streams—the Savannah River and the Suwannee River—are designated as navigable in their entirety, while all others are designated only for specified segments
Legislative Description
Water rights; list of streams presumed to be navigable; provide
Last Action
House Second Readers
2/27/2024
Committee Referrals
Natural Resources and Environment2/26/2024
Full Bill Text
No bill text available