United States | News & Politics

Part of the Rio Grande that has some the floats isn’t exactly used for boat traffic so it was interesting to see the Court give the entire waterway to the US government.

The court didn't "give the entire waterway to the US government." The judge enforced long-standing rules.

From Federal regulations:

§ 329.4 General definition.

Navigable waters of the United States are those waters that are subject to the ebb and flow of the tide and/or are presently used, or have been used in the past, or may be susceptible for use to transport interstate or foreign commerce. A determination of navigability, once made, applies laterally over the entire surface of the waterbody, and is not extinguished by later actions or events which impede or destroy navigable capacity.

§ 329.5 General scope of determination.

The several factors which must be examined when making a determination whether a waterbody is a navigable water of the United States are discussed in detail below. Generally, the following conditions must be satisfied:

(a) Past, present, or potential presence of interstate or foreign commerce;

(b) Physical capabilities for use by commerce as in paragraph (a) of this section; and

(c) Defined geographic limits of the waterbody.