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Akron city officials are upset over language in the newly signed state budget allowing property owners along drinking-water reservoirs, such as Lake Rockwell (above) to access city-owned land around the water.

(City of Akron)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Akron officials are upset about language in the new state budget giving property owners along drinking-water reservoirs access to city-owned land around the water.

The new law, which takes effect this fall, permits Ohioans who own property adjacent to reservoir land to cut down foliage on public land and build paths down to the water. Police will be prohibited from issuing trespassing citations in such situations.

Akron law director Patricia Ambrose Rubright said the new law is "a really serious concern" for the city's drinking water protection. Akron draws water from three reservoirs: Lake Rockwell in Portage County and LaDue and East Branch reservoirs in Geauga County.

"These are people that they are saying will not be trespassers - they can just go on our property," Rubright said.

The city of Columbus has also protested the budget language, added by the Ohio Senate last month.

It wasn't immediately clear which senator pushed to add the language to the budget, which was signed by Gov. John Kasich on Tuesday.

But Republican Sen. Kris Jordan pushed a similar measure two years ago on behalf of his Delaware County constituents. Jordan said at the time that his proposal was "a very common-sense thing to do" to allow people to keep up their home values, protect themselves against ticks, and prevent trees from falling into their yards.

Jordan could not be reached late Wednesday afternoon for comment.