Water Boundaries

Preface xi

1 Tidal Sovereign/Upland Water Boundaries 1

1.1 Background and History 1

1.2 Boundary Definitions in Tidal Waters 2

1.3 Techniques for Locating Tidal Boundaries 7

1.4 Case Studies 46

2 Nontidal Sovereign/Upland Water Boundaries 57

2.1 Background and History 57

2.2 Boundary Definitions in Nontidal Waters 58

2.3 Techniques for Locating Nontidal Boundaries 60

2.4 Case Studies 67

3 Riparian rights Related to Sovereign/Upland Boundaries 83

3.1 Division Lines for Rights within Adjacent Waters 84

3.2 Rights of Upland Owners to Newly Formed Land 90

4 Historic Boundary Location 93

4.1 Shoreline Changes 93

4.2 Techniques for Locating historic Shorelines 94

4.3 Sources of Information for Historic Shorelines 96

4.4 Interpretation of Historic Shoreline Maps and Surveys 101

5 Use of Government Land Office Meander Lines as Boundaries 105

5.1 Introduction 105

5.2 To Meander or Not to Meander 106

5.3 Location of Meander Lines 109

6 Which Waters Are Sovereign? 113

6.1 General Criteria 113

6.2 Navigability-in-Fact v. Navigability-in-Law 114

6.3 Nonnavigable Coves and Tributaries 116

6.4 Floodplains Adjoining Navigable Waters 118

7 Boundaries between Water Bodies 123

7.1 Introduction 123

7.2 Boundaries between Adjacent Navigable Water Bodies 124

7.3 Limits of Tidal Influence 135

8 State and Federal Water Boundaries 137

8.1 Background and History 137

8.2 Boundary Definitions 138

8.3 Techniques for Locating State/Federal Water Boundaries 142

9 Lateral Water Boundaries of States 145

9.1 Types of Lateral Boundaries 145

9.2 Construction of Equidistant and Median Lines 148

9.3 Proportionality 153

9.4 Case Study 154

10 National Water Boundaries 161

10.1 Historic Overview 161

10.2 Baselines for National Boundaries 163

10.3 Techniques for Locating National Boundaries 165

11 Boundaries in Nonsovereign Waters 167

11.1 Introduction 167

11.2 Boundaries in Streams 168

11.3 Boundaries in Lakes 170

11.4 Changes in Nonsovereign Water Boundaries 172

Appendix Specifications for Mean High Water Line Surveys 173

References 181

Law Case Citations 187

Index 191