The Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 is the primary federal law that governs water recreation. It regulates the construction of dams, bridges, and other structures in navigable waters, and it also prohibits the discharge of pollutants into navigable waters.

The Clean Water Act is a comprehensive law that aims to protect the quality of surface waters, groundwater, and navigable waters. It regulates the discharge of pollutants into navigable waters, sets standards for water quality, and provides funding for wastewater treatment plants.

Navigable waters are those that are capable of being navigated by a boat, regardless of whether they are actually used for commerce. Non-navigable waters are those that are not capable of being navigated by a boat.

The federal government, state government, and local government all have the authority to regulate water recreation on public lands. The federal government has the authority to regulate water recreation on federal public lands, the state government has the authority to regulate water recreation on state public lands, and the local government has the authority to regulate water recreation on local public lands.

Some of the common types of water recreation include swimming, boating, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboarding.

Some of the legal issues that can arise in connection with water recreation include trespassing, nuisance, negligence, and liability for injuries.

Some of the ways to prevent legal problems when engaging in water recreation include being aware of the laws and regulations that govern water recreation, being respectful of other people's property and rights, being careful and avoiding causing harm to others, and obtaining the necessary permits and licenses.

A public water body is one that is owned by the government and is open to the public. A private water body is one that is owned by an individual or a group of individuals and is not open to the public.

Some of the legal issues that can arise in connection with private water bodies include trespassing, nuisance, negligence, and liability for injuries.

Some of the ways to prevent legal problems when engaging in water recreation on private water bodies include obtaining permission from the owner of the water body before engaging in water recreation, being respectful of the owner's property and rights, being careful and avoiding causing harm to others, and following the owner's rules and regulations.

A riparian right is the right to use water from a river or stream and to own the land along a river or stream. A littoral right is the right to use water from a lake or ocean and to own the land along a lake or ocean.

Some of the legal issues that can arise in connection with riparian and littoral rights include trespassing, nuisance, negligence, and liability for injuries.

Some of the ways to prevent legal problems when exercising riparian and littoral rights include being aware of the laws and regulations that govern riparian and littoral rights, being respectful of other people's property and rights, being careful and avoiding causing harm to others, and obtaining the necessary permits and licenses.

A water right is a permanent right to use water that is granted by the government. A water use permit is a temporary right to use water that is granted by the government.

Some of the legal issues that can arise in connection with water rights and water use permits include trespassing, nuisance, negligence, and liability for injuries.

Some of the ways to prevent legal problems when exercising water rights and water use permits include being aware of the laws and regulations that govern water rights and water use permits, being respectful of other people's property and rights, being careful and avoiding causing harm to others, and obtaining the necessary permits and licenses.