Overview

• Federal law requiring standardized online maps of public waterway access and restrictions across five agencies
• Became law December 26, 2025
• Covers waters managed by National Park Service, Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish & Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Reclamation

Who does this affect?

• Main groups: Boaters, anglers, kayakers, paddlers, swimmers, and anyone using federal waterways for recreation
• Who benefits: Outdoor recreation users gain centralized access to waterway rules and boat ramp locations instead of checking multiple agency websites
• Teen impact score: 5/10 (indirect benefit for teens who recreate on federal waters—better info access, but doesn't change actual outdoor access)

What This Bill Does

• Agencies must develop unified data standards within 30 months (by June 2028) working with Federal Geographic Data Committee
• Within 5 years (by December 2030), agencies must digitize and publish GIS data showing: watercraft restrictions (motorized vs. non-motorized, horsepower limits, seasonal closures); boat ramp locations and operating dates; fishing closure areas, no-take zones, and equipment restrictions; navigation info including depth charts where feasible
• Waterway access data updated minimum twice yearly; fishing restriction data updated in real-time as changes occur
• Agencies may partner with states, tribes, tech companies, and nonprofits to build database
• Data cannot reveal locations of archaeological or historic sites
• Irrigation canals and flowage easements excluded from requirements
• Annual progress reports to Congress required through March 2034

Legislative Status

• Became Public Law No. 119-62 on December 26, 2025

In short

• Five federal agencies must create unified online maps showing waterway access and fishing rules by 2030. Data gets updated twice yearly for access info, real-time for fishing changes. Anyone can submit questions or comments about the published information. The law doesn't change actual access rules—just makes existing rules easier to find online.

Why should I care?

If you fish, kayak, or boat on federal waters, this makes planning trips way easier. Right now, finding out if a lake allows motorboats or where the nearest boat ramp is means checking different websites for different agencies. Starting in 2030, all that info lives in one searchable online database with maps. Fishing restrictions update in real-time, so you know immediately if an area closes. It's like having Google Maps for outdoor recreation on public waterways—the rules stay the same, but finding them gets much simpler.