Illinois Gold Prospecting

I found this and thought it would be beneficial to us all since we spend a significant amount of our time in rivers/creeks.

http://www.nationalrivers.org/us-law-who-owns.htm

Following are answers to frequently-asked questions about federal law regarding public ownership, use, and conservation of rivers. Note that this is a general discussion, and is not a substitute for legal counsel on a specific river issue! State law in a particular state may modify some of the following. Questions and answers are now in preparation for various states, and will be posted in the River Registry department of this web site as soon as they are ready. The following information, which is part of a continuing project of research and publishing about river law, is made possible by the generosity of the members of the National Organization for Rivers.

http://www.nationalrivers.org/us-law-who-owns.htm