CHAPTER 14. STATE WATER BOTTOM MANAGEMENT

§1701. Declaration of policy; public trust

            The beds and bottoms of all navigable waters and the banks or shores of bays, arms of the sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and navigable lakes belong to the state of Louisiana, and the policy of this state is hereby declared to be that these lands and water bottoms, hereinafter referred to as "public lands", shall be protected, administered, and conserved to best ensure full public navigation, fishery, recreation, and other interests. Unregulated encroachments upon these properties may result in injury and interference with the public use and enjoyment and may create hazards to the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of this state. To provide for the orderly protection and management of these state-owned properties and serve the best interests of all citizens, the lands and water bottoms, except those excluded and exempted and as otherwise provided by this Chapter, or as otherwise provided by law, shall be under the management of the division of administration, hereinafter referred to as the "division". The state land office, hereinafter referred to as the "office", shall be responsible for the control, permitting, and leasing of encroachments upon public lands, in accordance with this Chapter and the laws of Louisiana and the United States.

            Added by Acts 1978, No. 645, §2, eff. July 13, 1978; Acts 2001, No. 919, §1; Acts 2018, No. 242, §2.