Sovereign Lands

Utah owns the beds of navigable lakes and rivers at the time of statehood and holds them in public trust as basic state resources. 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 high-water mark of these bodies of water. All uses on, beneath, and above these beds are regulated to balance public interests, such as navigation, habitat, recreation and water quality, against economic necessity. This ownership is based on the Equal Footing Doctrine, a constitutional principle affirmed by the Utah Enabling Act of 1894 that granted Utah the same rights and sovereignty as the original states.