Act on the right to public water areas (No. 204 of 1966).

The present Act establishes the legal framework for the use and management of public water areas in Finland. It defines the rights and responsibilities of individuals, municipalities, and government agencies in relation to public water areas. Finland's territorial waters and large bays in inland lakes, to the extent they are located outside village boundaries, shall be public water areas. These, along with their seabed, are state property. The public water areas are under the administration and care of the Finnish Forest Administration (Forststyrelsen), unless otherwise prescribed for a specific area or determined by decision of the Council of State (statsrådet). No one may build on or take any part of a public water area for permanent use, nor may they extract stones, sand, gravel, or any other substance from the bottom without permission from the Finnish Forest Administration.