First, I am NOT an attorney. Second, I have never fished this area.

Rivers are pretty straight forward as far as high water mark goes (with maybe a couple of land grant exceptions I have read rumors about; see the property description on file with the County).

Salt water is also pretty straight forward; look at the property description on file with the County to determine whether private property ownership is to mean high tide, mean low tide or something else.

That research may define who owns what but no matter where the public ownership may be there is no right to trespass on private property to access public property (that I know of - I am NOT an attorney) nor to move up and down the waterway nor to camp, clean fish or to do various human functions. Which are probably the reasons this and other such closures are occurring. Very unfortunate but understandable from the property owners' perspective given the description of trash, etc.

Actually, the fact that the landowner has imposed a trespass fee provides some protection for his property while still allowing access to the river. The alternative could have been a complete closure.

What is unfortunate is that our various public accesses to lakes, rivers and salt water have been reduced and/or left in disrepair. Certainly we currently face difficult fiscal realities but many of these sites were the victims of apathy beginning years ago. But that is another story......