Today's anglers and conservationists face a common challenge: navigating fragmented and often outdated information about America's waterways. From weekend fishing enthusiasts to professional conservation science teams, reliable data about river access, regulations, and ecosystem health is crucial. The MAPwaters Act's advancement through the House Committee marks a key milestone in addressing this challenge, promising to modernize how we collect and share federal waterway information.

What Is the MAPwaters Act?

Building on the successful MAPLand Act of 2022, which digitized federal land access data, the Mapping All Public Waters (MAPwaters) Act will create a unified, user-friendly resource for waterway information. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will lead this $50 million initiative, partnering with existing organizations to develop a comprehensive database that includes:

• Waterway access points and regulations, with watercraft inspection requirements
• Motorized vessel rules, including fuel and horsepower restrictions
• Fishing guidelines covering catch-and-release and bait regulations
• Public facility locations such as boat ramps, portages, and wake zones

Impact and Implementation

For anglers, paddlers, and outdoor enthusiasts, the MAPwaters Act will help resolve challenges and make it easier to plan trips, follow regulations, and make the most of America’s public waters.

"Digital mapping tools have transformed outdoor exploration, but accessing accurate waterway data remains challenging," says Alex Maier, CMO at onWater. “onWater has been leading this charge ahead of the MAPwaters act being introduced to Congress with our robust dataset we've been building over the last four years.”

The Act brings together government agencies, technology providers, and conservation groups, leveraging their collective expertise to enhance public access and environmental stewardship. onWater has already implemented many of the Act’s objectives, collaborating with partners like USGS, Trout Unlimited, and California Trout to build custom tools and datasets that prioritize conservation and user access. These collaborations have allowed onWater to develop innovative solutions for anglers and paddlers, furthering environmental stewardship and sustainable recreation.

This legislation marks a significant step toward a more connected outdoor recreation community, ensuring sustainable enjoyment of America's public waters through improved data access and management.