Sovereign Lands

The State of Utah owns the beds of navigable lakes and rivers which were navigable at the time of statehood and holds them in public trust as basic state resources. In Utah, these lands are referred to as “sovereign lands”. The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands is the executive authority for managing the state's sovereign lands. These lands are defined as those lying below the ordinary high-water mark of these bodies of water. The public health, interest, safety, and welfare require that all uses on, beneath or above the beds of navigable lakes and streams of the state be regulated, so that the protection of navigation, fish and wildlife habitat, aquatic beauty, public recreation, and water quality will be given due consideration and balanced against the navigational or economic necessity or justification for, or benefit to be derived from, any proposed use. Additionally, the Division owns and manages several upland state properties which are not sovereign lands. These lands were donated or otherwise granted to the Division and are managed for the public’s benefit.

The mineral title of sovereign lands is held in trust for the people of Utah. These mineral and energy resources, when produced through upland access, provide financial support to the Division’s management objectives. The Division also acts as a manager for other state lands’ minerals by issuing leases, managing agreements, and collecting royalty payments for production on behalf of other state land-managing agencies, excluding Trust Lands Administration lands.