Riverfront landowner and stream‑access advocates raise navigability, property‑rights concerns

Two speakers used the council’s public‑comment period to raise legal and property concerns tied to river access and navigability.

Kent Singleton, a Taggart property owner, described a range of disputes affecting his riverfront land: unclear boundary lines despite multiple surveys, accusations that he removed survey markers (which he denied), a dissolved walk‑in access contract that he said made posted signage misleading, alleged misstatements at a February county meeting describing state or county ownership of land he says is owned by himself and UDOT, and what he characterized as failures by the county to process a FEMA floodplain fence permit he submitted. Singleton asked for a comprehensive list of navigable streams and current walk‑in access registrations and requested a written response within 10 days.

Herbert Lay, vice president of the Utah Stream Access Coalition, addressed the council after Singleton and summarized the coalition’s position on navigability under current state law. Lay emphasized that the Public Waters Access Act affirms the public’s right to float on public waters and recommended the state undertake navigability reviews where historical evidence suggests waterways were used for commerce in territorial times. Lay said the coalition would seek legislative sponsorship to establish a process for reviewing and declaring navigability.

Both speakers asked the council and state agencies to clarify records and procedures related to navigability, walk‑in access contracts, and enforcement of trespass on private land adjacent to waterways. Council members received the public comments; no formal action was taken by the council during the meeting in response to these public‑comment items.