U.S. State Submerged Lands

The Submerged Lands Act (43 U.S.C. Section 1301 et seq.) grants coastal states title to natural resources located within their coastal submerged lands and navigable waters out to three nautical miles from their coastlines (three marine leagues for Texas and Florida's Gulf of Mexico coastlines). The Submerged Lands Act defines "natural resources" to include oil, gas, and all other minerals, and fish, shrimp, oysters, clams, crabs, lobsters, sponges, kelp, and other marine animal and plant life," yet expressly excludes "water power, or the use of water for the production of power" 43 U.S.C. Section 1301(e). The term "coast line" is "the line of ordinary low water along that portion of the coast which is in direct contact with the open sea and the line marking the seaward limit of inland waters" (43 U.S.C. Section 1301(c)). Some boundary delineations are approximated, including areas in Hawaii, Alaska, and Washington State. The official delineation of the Submerged Lands Act in these locations has not yet been established by BOEM. Please reference BOEM's official Submerged Lands Act Boundary in these locations to determine where this boundary is approximated and where it is official.

Source: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2011-title43/pdf/USCODE-2011-title43-chap29.pdf
Date enacted: May 22, 1953
Codification: 43 U.S.C. Sec. 1301 et seq.
Authority: agencies of several U.S. coastal states