V-104 



Litigation has attempted to settle the question of measurement 

 from artificial jetties and in relation to river deltas and islands. 

 There is, however, still some jurisdictional uncertainty over 

 the submerged lands surrounding some islands and over man-made 

 lands and emerging islands. 



A supplemental Decree of the U. S. Supreme Court in 1966 established 

 California's offshore ownership boundary line. The ownership 

 boundary extends 3 geographical miles seaward from the coastline. 

 Much difficulty is associated with the establishment of the exact 

 location of this line. In addition to the problem of establishing 

 the line, the base line for measuring the State's boundary is 

 the "outermost permanent harbor works." Disputes have arisen over 

 the interpretation of this phrase. Another problem has to do 

 with the State's seaward boundary in the Channel Islands area 

 off the southern California coast. These jurisdictional problems 

 are extremely important for planning and management of the coastal 

 area and financially, because of royalties from oil leases and 

 other developments of the submerged lands. 



These difficulties point up the need for an organization to handle 

 such boundary disputes on a national level or a higher-than-State 

 level. This need has also been expressed by the Panel (on Management 

 and Development of the Coastal Zone of the Commission on Marine 

 Science, Engineering and Resources) in their recommendation that 

 a National seashore boundary commission be established by the Congress 



