New Georgia Law-Illegal to wheel in dry creek beds?

[iBarsky]

I would have posted this in the Land Use forum, but am waiting until I find an actual link to the law.

Georgia's governor signed a new law within the last few weeks that (the way I understood it when the radio mentioned it)makes it illegal to wheel (atv, bike or truck, etc...) creekbeds whether wet or dry.

Has anyone else seen or read anything about this new law? The Governor has signed so much in the last week that I haven't been able to find anything about it online.

I remember it being mentioned earlier in the year when it was still a bill being debated on, but don't remember any of the details other than it only applied to creek beds that originated on another person's property. I don't know what version survived to become law.

Just to be clear, I don't wheel creek beds unless they are dry and on property where it is allowed. There's a small group of us that wheel some private property in North Georgia that has a large, wide and deep dry creek bed. The current property owner says that he's only seen water in it twice in the last fifteen years-in 2004 and last September. The creek bed originates on another gentleman's land, where it has been altered to flow into a private lake when it does contain water.
The other land owners don't mind that we wheel the dry creek bed, some even join us, but the way it sounds this new law could still make it illegal.

I'm going to do some more searching, but I thought others should at least be aware of this situation.

 

[iBarsky]

Here is an article I just found, but it is low on details

ATLANTA — Riding off-road vehicles in stream beds is going to be against the law in Georgia now that Gov. Sonny Perdue signed legislation Friday long sought by environmentalists, property owners and safety advocates.
House Bill 207 by Rep. Chuck Sims, R-Ambrose, received just 14 no votes in the House and only one in the Senate when it finally made it to the floor for passage. An undertaker by profession, Sims often told his colleagues he was motivated to push the bill because of the pain caused by fatal injuries from off-road-vehicle accidents involving children.
But fans of trail riding had fought the bill because it will curtain part of their experience.
It was one of 67 bills signed by the governor Friday.
HB 207, which takes effect immediately, prohibits motoring along stream beds, even if they are dried at the time. It does allow crossing stream beds and makes exceptions to law-enforcement and agricultural vehicles.
Satilla Riverkeeper Bill Miller said Perdue's signature on the bill is great news.
"It's been a long, uphill battle," Miller said. "A lot of people got on board the past year to push it through." The bill was championed several years ago by Gordon Rogers, the man Miller replaced and who is now the Flint Riverkeeper. Rogers at first said the bill was needed to protect the banks and river bottoms of the Satilla, the Ohoopee and streams like them where people cause erosion riding four wheelers. When that failed, Rogers and other supporters tried a new avenue, the protection of private property, one that Miller said drew more support.
"It's a big trespassing and liability issue for property owners," he said.
During periods of low flow, four-wheeler owners access the river at public boat ramps and bridges, ride the sand bars and shallow waters and then charge up the banks to trespass on private property, he said.
"The river corridor is just like a highway to them. It's amazing what people think their rights are," he said.
The new law will also protect the environment, he said.
"Once we start cutting trails, the water starts following those trails, and it increases erosion," he said of he damage.
Miller said he is hopeful that local law enforcement will keep watch on river access points to catch violators.

 

[Team Willys]

I don't see how they can police it if you are on private property and you have the land owners permission.

Its illegal for me to pee off of my back porch. I could be cited for indecent exposure. However, I have been doing it daily for 19 years and haven't gotten in trouble for it yet... Basically, my point is use your head. Don't go getting in large recreational areas with boat ramps and lot of people. That will get you in trouble. But if you are smart about it, you can probably continue doing what you have been doing with no problems.

 

[dave92cherokee]

HB 207, which takes effect immediately, prohibits motoring along stream beds, even if they are dried at the time. It does allow crossing stream beds and makes exceptions to law-enforcement and agricultural vehicles.

Looks like you can still cross them but just can't ride down the riverbed. Plus how many of us to go boat ramps and the like to get access to a riverbed just to ride it. It's usually when there's a riverbed in the middle of a trail we cross and continue on the trail.

 

[thechief86]

HB 207, which takes effect immediately, prohibits motoring along stream beds, even if they are dried at the time. It does allow crossing stream beds and makes exceptions to law-enforcement and agricultural vehicles.

Looks like you can still cross them but just can't ride down the riverbed. Plus how many of us to go boat ramps and the like to get access to a riverbed just to ride it. It's usually when there's a riverbed in the middle of a trail we cross and continue on the trail.

what he said.
i have been known to drive down streams with water in them, but 9 times outta 10, it's just to get to the other side and back on the trail. i don't always do exactly as i should, but as long as it's legal to cross streams, it isn't hard to prove that you're just trying to get to the other side. the two or three places i've wheeled and had to cross a stream, you actually had to drive upstream 100ft or so to get to the exit bank.

 

[gambit4000s]

I wonder what would constitute "agricultural vehicles"? Would "Farm" or "Agricultural" license plates be sufficient?