Montana Code 23-2-312. Access to surface waters by public bridge or county road right-of-way
23-2-312. Access to surface waters by public bridge or county road right-of-way. (1) A person may gain access to surface waters for recreational use by using:
Terms Used In Montana Code 23-2-312
- Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
- Person: includes a corporation or other entity as well as a natural person. See Montana Code 1-1-201
(a)a public bridge, its right-of-way, and its abutments; and
(b)a county road right-of-way.
(2)When accessing surface waters pursuant to subsection (1), a person shall stay within the road or bridge right-of-way. Absent definition in an easement or deed to the contrary, the width of a bridge right-of-way is the same width as the right-of-way of the road to which the bridge is attached.
(3)The provisions in 7-14-2134, 23-2-313, and this section related to public access to surface waters for recreational use neither create nor extinguish any right related to county roads established by prescriptive use that exist on April 13, 2009.
(4)For purposes of determining liability, a person accessing surface waters for recreational use pursuant to this section is owed no duty by a landowner or an agent or tenant of that landowner other than for an act or omission that constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.