Gov. Dennis Daugaard has signed House Bill 1001 into law, the compromise bill on non-meandered waters.
Daugaard convened the Legislature yesterday for a special legislative session to consider legislation relating to public recreational use of non-meandered waters overlying private property. The bill immediately opens more than two dozen bodies of water to the public while giving landowners the ability to post and close certain areas of nonmeandered waters.
An amendment to the bill “sunsets” the legislation on July 1, 2018, which will require the Legislature to take up the issue during the next legislative session.
The bill, which included an emergency clause, passed both houses with the required two-thirds majority, making the law effective immediately.
The Department of Game, Fish and Parks will release further information about the reopening of these lakes this morning.