The MAPWaters Act has cleared Congress and is headed to the President’s desk.
For people who boat, fish, hunt, or paddle on federally managed waters, this is a practical fix: the law directs agencies to digitize and publish recreational access information so users can find clear, up-to-date rules on phones and chartplotters, rather than digging through scattered paperwork.
The bill requires agencies to standardize geospatial datasets showing which waterways are open or closed, where inspections or decontamination are required, and which sections carry limits on motorized propulsion, horsepower, or fuel type. It will identify which craft are allowed where — canoes, rafts, motorboats, airboats, or even oversnow vehicles on frozen lakes — and it will map the boundaries of fishing restrictions, from seasonal closures and no-take zones to bait and tackle limits and catch-and-release rules. All of that information will be published in a format that mapping apps and navigation tools can ingest, so users see status layers where they already plan trips.
This is a bipartisan effort backed by senators and representatives from multiple states, and it builds on earlier work to digitize public-land access. The law covers waterways managed wholly or in part by agencies such as the Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Forest Service. Much of the current guidance is buried in agency files and lengthy regulatory documents, making it hard for the public to know what’s legal and where. Standardized, machine-readable data will cut that friction and reduce accidental violations.
For anglers, hunters, and paddlers, this should mean less guesswork and more confidence. Navigation tools and chartplotters will be able to show closed stretches, no-wake or speed limits, gear restrictions such as barbed-hook or live-bait bans, and where inspection or decontamination is required to slow the spread of invasive species. The change won’t make the rules; it will make the rules easier to find and follow, which is better for recreation and for stewardship. The result is straightforward: clearer access, fewer surprises at launch, and better information to help people recreate safely and legally on public waters now and for the future.
You can find out more about the MAPWaters Act HERE, and there is an excellent breakdown by TRCP HERE.