[Protagoras]

He may find that he doesn't own the lake either since it is, by law, part of the "waters of the United States"

Is it possible to own a water filled area? A lake or a pond?

[mutchdutch]

The county thinks someone owns it as they taxed it.

[justshutupandtakeit]

The Clean Water Act claims jurisdiction over "all waters of the United States." So don't spit too often in one spot or it is subject to federal law.

Initially jurisdiction was claimed over all "navigable" waters but Wetlands regulation was imposed over waters which were clearly not navigable but the enviro-whackos had the law changed to eliminate navigable. I was squawking over a decade ago about the illegal abuse of the Rivers, and Harbors Act of 1889 (?) which had been stretched to give cover to wetlands regulation.