{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-82-82-875","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 82, § 82-875","heading":"Rights of public - Fees - Rules and regulations - Permits","body":"- Attorney General to enforce compliance - Acquisition for land for\n\npark or road purposes\n\nA. Except as may be provided in this subsection, the Grand\n\nRiver Dam Authority shall not prevent free public use of its lands\n\nand lakes for recreation purposes and for hunting and fishing,\n\nexcept at such points where, in the opinion of the Board of\n\nDirectors, such use would be dangerous or would interfere with the\n\nproper conduct of its business. The Authority may, in the interest\n\nof public health and safety, make reasonable regulations governing\n\nsuch use and, in the interest of defraying costs associated with the\n\nmaintenance and policing of public lands administered by the\n\nAuthority, prescribe reasonable fees for camping and the use of\n\nAuthority facilities and for the use of off-road and all-terrain\n\nvehicles on Authority lands.\n\nB. All existing public rights-of-way to the areas to be flooded\n\nby the impounded waters shall remain open as a way of free public\n\npassage to and from the lakes created, and no charge shall ever be\n\nmade to the public for right to engage in hunting, fishing, boating\n\nor swimming in the lakes, and no charges shall ever be made for a\n\npermit to operate or use or for the inspection of boats and\n\nequipment, except that the Authority may prescribe an annual fee for\n\nthe issuance or renewal of a permit for a private anchorage, wharf,\n\ndock or boathouse. Such fee shall be used to defray the expenses of\n\noperating and equipping the Authority's Lake Patrol. The public\n\nshall have free use of and access to the waters of the lakes for\n\nprivate use, and shall have the right to anchorage, wharf, dock,\n\nboat dock, houseboat and landing privileges free of charge when used\n\nfor private boating, but such anchorage, wharf, dock, boat dock,\n\nhouseboat and landing privileges shall only be allowed after a\n\npermit therefor has been issued. Provided that no permit for any\n\nanchorage, wharf, dock, boat dock, houseboat and landing privileges\n\nshall be issued which would deprive the owner of land adjacent to\n\nthe shoreland or lake front or abutting thereon of any anchorage,\n\nwharf, dock, boat dock, houseboat and landing privileges. The\n\nAuthority may designate areas closed to such use, where in its\n\nopinion such use would interfere with the health or safety of the\n\npublic, or with the proper conduct of the business of the Authority.\n\nThe Authority shall prescribe suitable rules for the use of firearms\n\non its lands and lakes and suitable rules and regulations and rules\n\nof travel, in the interest of public safety, for the use of the\n\nwaters of the lakes.\n\nC. The Authority shall prescribe, in the interest of public\n\nsafety, suitable rules and regulations governing the keeping for\n\nhire or operations of a boat or boats, surfboards, aquaplanes, sea-\n\nskis or similar devices for pecuniary profit or gain on the waters\n\nof the lakes. The keeping for hire or operation of a boat or boats,\n\nsurfboards, aquaplanes, sea-skis or similar devices, for pecuniary\n\nprofit or gain, on the waters of the lake, shall only be allowed\n\nafter a permit therefor has been issued by the Authority.\n\nApplications for such permits are to be in writing, upon a form\n\nprescribed and furnished by the Authority, and containing such\n\ninformation as is required by the Authority. For the issuance of\n\nsuch a permit the Authority shall charge a fee in an amount as\n\nspecified by the Authority, and shall have the power to prescribe\n\nthe size and type of boat or boats allowed to operate under such\n\npermit and the equipment necessary to such operation. A permit\n\nshall be procured for the construction of wharves, docks, landings\n\nand anchorages when constructed for commercial or rental purposes.\n\nFor the issuance of such a permit the Authority shall charge a fee\n\nin an amount as specified by the Authority. The Authority shall\n\nprescribe the type, style and location and equipment of wharves,\nh\n\npermit and the equipment necessary to such operation. A permit\n\nshall be procured for the construction of wharves, docks, landings\n\nand anchorages when constructed for commercial or rental purposes.\n\nFor the issuance of such a permit the Authority shall charge a fee\n\nin an amount as specified by the Authority. The Authority shall\n\nprescribe the type, style and location and equipment of wharves,\n\ndocks, anchorages and landings from which such boats operate and\n\ntheir rules of travel. Issuance of permits is to be deferred and\n\nwithheld unless and until the applicant therefor has paid the permit\n\nfee and procured and deposited with the Authority a good and\n\nsufficient bond, either in cash, or by a surety company licensed to\n\ndo business in this state, or public liability and property damage\n\ninsurance, written by a company licensed to do business in Oklahoma,\n\nin an amount and in such form as the Authority shall specify, so as\n\nto assure compensation for injuries to or death of persons, and loss\n\nor damage to property for which the holder of such permit may be\n\nlegally liable. Upon it being called to the attention of the\n\nAttorney General of Oklahoma by any citizen of Oklahoma that this\n\nsection has not been complied with, it shall be the duty of the\n\nAttorney General of Oklahoma to institute the proper legal\n\nproceedings to require the Authority, or its successor, to comply\n\nwith the provisions of this section.\n\nD. The Authority may acquire, by purchase, condemnation, or\n\notherwise, lands suitable for park purposes or roadways along the\n\nshores of the lakes. After acquiring such lands the Authority may,\n\nbut shall not be required to, assign or lease the lands to the State\n\nof Oklahoma for park or road purposes and if such assignment is made\n\nthe lands shall be under the supervision and control of the Oklahoma\n\nTourism and Recreation Commission or the Department of Wildlife\n\nConservation, which shall keep the lands so assigned open to the\n\npublic so that the public in general may have free access to the\n\nlakes.","path":["OK Code","Title 82"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os82.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"70e80e43987311e52ba93192dc3b0a513c8c88d8d9606c96fe47f231bd4f2622","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-82-82-874.2","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-82-82-876"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}