Enacted
MAPWaters Act of 2025
Outdoor recreationists will gain access to standardized, free online maps showing rules and access points for federally managed lakes, rivers, and streams. Within five years, federal land and water agencies must publish digital data detailing boat ramps, seasonal closures, watercraft restrictions like horsepower limits and no-wake zones, and fishing rules such as gear restrictions and catch-and-release areas. The law requires agencies to update waterway navigation rules at least twice a year and fishing restrictions in real time, without changing existing fishing rights or state water jurisdictions.
People affected—Not determinable from the text provided; the bill provides public information access but does not identify or quantify a specific affected population count.
Fiscal magnitude—Not determinable from the text provided; the bill does not authorize specific appropriation amounts or allocate new funding.
Reach28provisional · pending reviewrigor: heuristic llm
What this bill touches.
Federal lands & resources−12Ethics & oversight+15
Who it helps · who it burdens.
Who it helps
- Recreational boaters and anglersGain free, centralized public access to online GIS maps showing boat ramps, canoe portages, fishing access points, depth charts, watercraft restrictions, and real-time fishing rules under Sec. 4(a)-(c), as well as a formal public comment mechanism under Sec. 4(d).
- Commercial fishing operatorsGain access to standardized, publicly available digital maps showing the exact geographic boundaries of commercial fishing closures, no-take zones, and equipment restrictions under Sec. 4(c).
- Geospatial and technology contractorsAre explicitly authorized to enter into formal agreements, partnerships, or contracts with federal agencies to collect, digitize, and standardize geospatial waterway data under Sec. 5(a)-(b).
Who it burdens
- Federal land and water management agenciesMust jointly establish geospatial data standards within 30 months, digitize and publish free online maps of water access and restrictions within 5 years, update maps regularly, maintain a public feedback system, and submit annual progress reports to Congress through 2034 under Sec. 3, 4, and 6.