Comments about ‘S.L. County buying Jordan River land’

I'm all for this buffer zone along rivers and around lakes and resevoirs but there seems to be a cheaper and easier way to do this. Instead of the county or state having to buy these lands why don't they just enact non negotialbe zoning laws to creat buffer zones around lakes and rivers? The land can be privately owned but developement would not allowed inside the zone. No homes, no businesses, no barns, no storage, etc. Agricultural restrictions would seem plausible and very much cheaper than buying and having to maintain the land along rivers and around lakes. Zoning laws can allow easements also in order to create these paths, which should not be paved or blacktopped. Also a dirt path would be much easier to maintain and build. Seems like government is wasting a lot of money for not very much use.