A Country Divided by Invisible WallsThe frustrating thing about restricted river access is that the barriers are not always obvious when you look at a map. The next section passes through private land. Yes, the public can enjoy the river, provided the public does not insist on seeing, touching or approaching too much of it. We Protect What We Are Allowed to KnowThere is another reason public access matters, and it goes beyond recreation. Public access policy should be based on workable rules, evidence and enforcement—not caricatures designed to keep an old distribution of power comfortably intact.