Mississippi legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Mississippi HB1593: Sixteenth section land; define rights of owners of land on which is located a body of water.
Status: Failed, February 12, 2026
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 51-1-4, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT THE LEGISLATURE FINDS AND DECLARES THAT THE SIXTEENTH SECTION TRUST IS SUPERIOR TO THE PUBLIC WATERS TRUST AND THEREFORE THE RIGHTS OF THE OWNERS OF SIXTEENTH SECTION LAND ON WHICH IS LOCATED A BODY OF WATER THAT IS A NAVIGABLE WATERWAY OR AN OXBOW LAKE ARE SUPERIOR TO THE RIGHTS OF THE PUBLIC TO ACCESS AND USE THE BODY OF WATER WITHIN THE SIXTEENTH SECTION LAND; TO AMEND SECTION 1-3-31, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL GENERAL DEFINITION OF NAVIGABLE WATERS; TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 27-109-1 AND 51-1-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH DEFINE NAVIGABLE WATERS, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; TO BRING FORWARD SECTION 29-3-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH PROVIDES THAT SIXTEENTH SECTION LANDS ARE PROPERTY HELD IN TRUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
What the bill says
An act to amend section 51-1-4, mississippi code of 1972, to provide that the legislature finds and declares that the sixteenth section trust is superior to the public waters trust and therefore the rights of the owners of sixteenth section land on which is located a body of water that is a navigable waterway or an oxbow lake are superior to the rights of the public to access and use the body of water within the sixteenth section land; to amend section 1-3-31, mississippi code of 1972, to provide an additional general definition of navigable waters…
From the introduced text:
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 51-1-4, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE THAT THE LEGISLATURE FINDS AND DECLARES THAT THE SIXTEENTH SECTION TRUST IS SUPERIOR TO THE PUBLIC WATERS TRUST AND THEREFORE THE RIGHTS OF THE OWNERS OF SIXTEENTH SECTION LAND ON WHICH IS LOCATED A BODY OF WATER THAT IS A NAVIGABLE WATERWAY OR AN OXBOW LAKE ARE SUPERIOR TO THE RIGHTS OF THE PUBLIC TO ACCESS AND USE THE BODY OF WATER WITHIN THE SIXTEENTH SECTION LAND; TO AMEND SECTION 1-3-31, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROVIDE AN ADDITIONAL GENERAL DEFINITION OF NAVIGABLE WATERS; TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 27-109-1 AND 51-1-1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH DEFINE NAVIGABLE WATERS, FOR THE PURPOSE OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; TO AMEND SECTIONS 29-3-1, 29-3-41 AND 29-3-54, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH PROVIDES THAT SIXTEENTH SECTION LANDS ARE PROPERTY HELD IN TRUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS THE LEASING OF SIXTEENTH SECTION LAND FOR HUNTING AND FISHING PURPOSES AND POSTING OF NOTICE OF TRESPASS, IN CONFORMITY TO THE PRECEDING PROVISIONS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: SECTION 1. Section 51-1-4, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows: 51-1-4. (1) Those portions of all natural flowing streams in this state having a mean annual flow of not less than …