---
title: O.C.G.A. § 52-8-1. Throwing stone, gravel, or other ballast into navigable waters.
collection: code
id: 52-8-1
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 52-8-1 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/52-8-1
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/52-8-1.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/52-8-1/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t52-t53-(v40)-2021-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=d23ba203_0#page=195
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/code/52-8.md
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index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: WATERS OF THE STATE, PORTS, AND WATERCRAFT / DISCHARGE OF SUBSTANCES DANGEROUS TO NAVIGATION OR PROPERTY
---

# O.C.G.A. § 52-8-1. Throwing stone, gravel, or other ballast into navigable waters.

Any master of a vessel or watercraft who shall throw or permit to be thrown any stone, gravel, or other ballast from on board the vessel or watercraft into any of the waters of any bay or harbor of this state or within three miles of the outside bar of any such bay or harbor shall forfeit a sum not less than $500.00 nor more than $2,000.00 for each such offense. One-half of the forfeiture shall be paid to the person who first gives information of the offense to the Board of Pilotage Commissioners and the other half shall be paid to the use of the commissioners of the harbors, respectively, for improvement of navigation. In addition, any such master may be punished by imprisonment for not over three months, in the discretion of the court.

## History

Laws 1847, Cobb’s 1851 Digest, p. 50; Code 1863, § 1486; Code 1868, § 1543; Code 1873, § 1537; Code 1882, § 1537; Civil Code 1895, § 1685; Penal Code 1895, § 646; Civil Code 1910, § 1931; Penal Code 1910, § 686; Code 1933, §§ 98-102, 98-9902.