As pointed out, you are free to float on rivers, but once you touch bottom, you are trespassing on the land of the landowner. The landowner owns the land under the water. If they own land on one side, they own it to the center of the main channel (which can obviously move).
The the adjacent property is public (IE the Ogallala Strip WMA on the South Platte River), then the river bed is public up to the center of the main channel.
Those property rights go back to the early 20th century. The Missouri River is a little different due to its status as a border water AND a navigable waterway.
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This post was generated on my own computer on my own time. The views expressed herein may or may not necessarily reflect those of my employer. I'm not an expert on anything. I probably am wrong, so don't believe me.
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