State lawmakers are trying to address the issue of property rights on Georgia's waterways.

The Flint River flows swiftly over rocky rapids, creating a cozy habitat for bass, the state's official river game fish. But recently, this river has become a breeding ground of a different kind. A landowner in Appling County's attempt to claim exclusive fishing rights on a popular stretch of the river has led to long-standing tensions that have boiled over and reignited a fresh debate in Georgia about public access to nature. This has pitted property owners, some of whom have deep-rooted ties to the area, against fishermen, paddlers, and others whose traditions are closely linked to this river.

Fishing is a big business in Georgia, where about 1.1 million people have fishing licenses, and the state directs taxpayer dollars towards stocking fish, building boat ramps, and conducting surveys and studies of the fishing industry in Georgia. Fishing and hunting rights are so highly valued here that they are enshrined in the state constitution.

A view of the Flint River from the Flat Shoals Bridge in Pike County. Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder

“Fishing is really important for Georgia. It is truly a part of our people and our state,” said Scott Robinson, head of the fisheries division of the state Department of Natural Resources.

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The state entered into an agreement with a landowner in Appling County earlier this year, which alarmed public access advocates who were concerned that other landowners might follow suit.

The issue came before state lawmakers just at the end of the 2023 session, forcing them to make last-minute maneuvers to pass a law aimed at protecting public access to fishing on designated navigable waterways. However, another landowner has since filed a lawsuit in Talbot County, claiming exclusive fishing rights on a section of the river that they argue is non-navigable. The state has requested the case to be dismissed.

While the case is moving through the courts, state lawmakers are also holding a series of meetings on this issue this month. Last week, landowners, outdoor enthusiasts, environmentalists, elected officials, and others gathered at the Towerhouse Farm brewery in the town of Gay to express their opinions on who controls access to the river, particularly for fishing.

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“We are the group that filed the lawsuit and sparked the wave, so I might be seen as the villain in this room,” said Ben Bruton, who is part of the ownership group that sued the state last year, before lawmakers. Bruton stated that his father bought the piece of land 50 years ago, believing that the land came with exclusive rights to use a popular fishing spot. “In the end, the essence of the matter is that Georgia, a business-friendly state where the governor proudly participates, is going to become a state that finds something due to desire and decides to enact a law to take it away from that person. There’s a certain name for governments that do this,” Bruton said.