New Hampshire § 271:20 State Water Jurisdiction;  Published List of Public Waters;  Rulemaking

New Hampshire Statutes

§ 271:20 — State Water Jurisdiction; Published List of Public Waters; Rulemaking

New Hampshire § 271:20

Title XXIINAVIGATION; HARBORS; COAST SURVEY

Ch. 271PILOTS, HARBOR MASTERS, AND PUBLIC WATERS

SubdivisionDefining Certain Public Waters

This text of New Hampshire § 271:20 (State Water Jurisdiction; Published List of Public Waters; Rulemaking) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Hampshire primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 271:20 (2026).

Text

I.All natural bodies of fresh water situated entirely in the state having an area of 10 acres or more are state-owned public waters, and are held in trust by the state for public use; and no corporation or individual shall have or exercise in any such body of water any rights or privileges not common to all citizens of this state; provided, however, the state retains its existing jurisdiction over those bodies of water located on the borders of the state over which it has exercised such jurisdiction.

II.The department of environmental services shall prepare, maintain, and publish an official list of all public waters in the state. The commissioner of the department of environmental services shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to this publication.

III.The general court fin

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I. All natural bodies of fresh water situated entirely in the state having an area of 10 acres or more are state-owned public waters, and are held in trust by the state for public use; and no corporation or individual shall have or exercise in any such body of water any rights or privileges not common to all citizens of this state; provided, however, the state retains its existing jurisdiction over those bodies of water located on the borders of the state over which it has exercised such jurisdiction.
II. The department of environmental services shall prepare, maintain, and publish an official list of all public waters in the state. The commissioner of the department of environmental services shall adopt rules, pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to this publication.
III. The general court finds, based on all available information, that the natural mean high water mark of Ossipee Lake is 407.25 feet above mean sea level.