U.S. State Submerged Lands
Data Set (DS) | Office for Coastal Management (OCM)GUID: gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:48928 | Updated: August 15, 2024 | Published / External
Summary
Short Citation
Office for Coastal Management, 2025: U.S. State Submerged Lands, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/48928.
Full Citation Examples
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
Distribution Information
-
Marine Cadastre Data Registry
None
For coastal and ocean planning
Controlled Theme Keywords
boundaries, ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE/MANAGEMENT, oceans, planningCadastre
Child Items
| Type | Title |
|---|---|
| Entity | USStateSubmergedLands |
Contact Information
Point of Contact
NOAA Office for Coastal Management (NOAA/OCM)
coastal.info@noaa.gov
(843) 740-1202
https://coast.noaa.gov
Extents
-179.229655° W,
179.856675° E,
71.439231° N,
18.85975° S
2016
Item Identification
| Title: | U.S. State Submerged Lands |
|---|---|
| Status: | Completed |
| Publication Date: | 2016-09-14 |
| Abstract: |
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 |
| Purpose: |
To support ocean planning activities pursuant to the Executive Order Regarding the Ocean Policy to Advance the Economic, Security, and Environmental Interests of the United States, the Energy Policy Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Rivers and Harbors Act, and the Coastal Zone Management Act. |
| Supplemental Information: |
Bureau Code: 006:48, Program Code: 006:055 |
Keywords
Theme Keywords
| Thesaurus | Keyword |
|---|---|
| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > HUMAN DIMENSIONS > ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE/MANAGEMENT
|
| ISO 19115 Topic Category |
boundaries
|
| ISO 19115 Topic Category |
oceans
|
| ISO 19115 Topic Category |
planningCadastre
|
| UNCONTROLLED | |
| None | coastal |
| None | marine boundaries |
| None | planning |
Spatial Keywords
| Thesaurus | Keyword |
|---|---|
| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords |
CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
|
| UNCONTROLLED | |
| None | Exclusive Economic Zone |
| None | Outer Continental Shelf |
| None | Territorial Sea |
| None | United States of America |
Physical Location
| Organization: | Office for Coastal Management |
|---|---|
| City: | Charleston |
| State/Province: | SC |
Data Set Information
| Data Set Scope Code: | Data Set |
|---|---|
| Maintenance Frequency: | None Planned |
| Entity Attribute Overview: |
statute, citation, codification |
| Distribution Liability: |
https://www.marinecadastre.gov/about/disclaimer.html |
| Data Set Credit: | Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, NOAA Office for Coastal Management |
Support Roles
Point of Contact
| Date Effective From: | 2016-09-14 |
|---|---|
| Date Effective To: | |
| Contact (Organization): | NOAA Office for Coastal Management (NOAA/OCM) |
| Address: |
2234 South Hobson Ave Charleston, SC 29405-2413 |
| Email Address: | coastal.info@noaa.gov |
| Phone: | (843) 740-1202 |
| URL: | https://coast.noaa.gov |
Extents
| Currentness Reference: | Publication Date |
|---|
Extent Group 1
Extent Group 1 / Geographic Area 1
| W° Bound: | -179.229655 | |
|---|---|---|
| E° Bound: | 179.856675 | |
| N° Bound: | 71.439231 | |
| S° Bound: | 18.85975 |
Extent Group 1 / Time Frame 1
| Time Frame Type: | Discrete |
|---|---|
| Start: | 2016 |
Spatial Information
Spatial Representation
Representations Used
| Vector: | Yes |
|---|
Access Information
| Security Class: | Unclassified |
|---|---|
| Data Access Constraints: |
None |
| Data Use Constraints: |
For coastal and ocean planning |
Distribution Information
Distribution 1
| Download URL: | https://marinecadastre.gov/data/ |
|---|---|
| Distributor: | |
| Description: |
Marine Cadastre Data Registry |
Distribution 2
| Download URL: | https://marinecadastre.gov/downloads/data/mc/USStateSubmergedLands.zip |
|---|---|
| Distributor: |
Activity Log
Activity Log 1
| Activity Date/Time: | 2016-09-14 |
|---|---|
| Description: |
Date that the source FGDC record was last modified. |
Activity Log 2
| Activity Date/Time: | 2017-11-14 |
|---|---|
| Description: |
Converted from FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (version FGDC-STD-001-1998) using 'fgdc_to_inport_xml.pl' script. Contact Tyler Christensen (NOS) for details. |
Activity Log 3
| Activity Date/Time: | 2018-02-08 |
|---|---|
| Description: |
Partial upload of Positional Accuracy fields only. |
Data Quality
| Accuracy: |
Untested |
|---|---|
| Horizontal Positional Accuracy: |
Compiled to meet 10 meters horizontal accuracy at 95% confidence level |
| Completeness Report: |
Untested |
| Conceptual Consistency: |
These data are logically consistent |
Lineage
Sources
Coastal Zone Management Act
| Contact Name: | Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office for Coastal Management (OCM) |
|---|---|
| Publish Date: | 2013-12-12 |
| Extent Type: | Discrete |
| Extent Start Date/Time: | 2013-12-12 |
| Citation URL: | ftp://ftp.coast.noaa.gov/pub/MSP/CoastalZoneManagementActBoundary.zip |
| Source Contribution: |
The official, published seaward boundary for the Coastal Zone Management Act. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online |
coastline.zip
| Contact Name: | Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) |
|---|---|
| Source Contribution: |
Shoreline for the state of Alaska. Received data via email. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online |
Energy Policy Act
| Contact Name: | Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office for Coastal Management (OCM) |
|---|---|
| Publish Date: | 2016-05-11 |
| Extent Type: | Discrete |
| Extent Start Date/Time: | 2016-05-11 |
| Citation URL: | ftp://coast.noaa.gov/pub/Legis-Atlas/FederalGeoregulations/EnergyPolicyAct.zip |
| Source Contribution: |
The official, published boundary for the Energy Policy Act. This boundary was used as an equivalent delineation for the Exclusive Economic Zone boundary. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online |
International_Boundary.zip
| Contact Name: | Department of the Interior (DOI), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) |
|---|---|
| Publish Date: | 2010-01-01 |
| Extent Type: | Discrete |
| Extent Start Date/Time: | 2010 |
| Citation URL: | http://txpub.usgs.gov/BEHI/Data_download/Boundaries_Layers/International_Boundary.zip |
| Source Contribution: |
Delineation of the U.S./Mexico international boundary. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online |
OCS 3nm line
| Contact Name: | Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office for Coast Survey (OCS) |
|---|---|
| Source Contribution: |
The official OCS 3nm line, for Alaska and Hawaii. Received data via email. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online |
shapefile13w.zip
| Contact Name: | U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) |
|---|---|
| Publish Date: | 2009-01-01 |
| Extent Type: | Discrete |
| Extent Start Date/Time: | 2009 |
| Citation URL: | http://msi.nga.mil/DNCSiteContent/StaticFiles/shapefiles/shapefile13w.zip |
| Source Contribution: |
Shoreline for the state of Hawaii, and a small portion of northeast Alaska at the border with Canada. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online |
Submerged Lands Act
| Contact Name: | Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) |
|---|---|
| Publish Date: | 2006-01-01 |
| Extent Type: | Range |
| Extent Start Date/Time: | 2006-02-10 |
| Extent End Date/Time: | 2012 |
| Citation URL: | http://www.boem.gov/Oil-and-Gas-Energy-Program/Mapping-and-Data/Alaska/fedstate.aspx |
| Source Contribution: |
The official, published seaward boundary for the Submerged Lands Act in the Lower 48 and Alaska. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online |
us_medium_shoreline.zip
| Contact Name: | Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) |
|---|---|
| Publish Date: | 2008-01-01 |
| Extent Type: | Discrete |
| Extent Start Date/Time: | 2008 |
| Citation URL: | https://coast.noaa.gov/htdata/Shoreline/us_medium_shoreline.zip |
| Source Contribution: |
Medium resolution shoreline for the Lower 48 states. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online |
USMaritimeLimitsAndBoundariesSHP.zip
| Contact Name: | Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), Office for Coast Survey (OCS) |
|---|---|
| Publish Date: | 2013-09-13 |
| Extent Type: | Discrete |
| Extent Start Date/Time: | 2013-09-13 |
| Citation URL: | http://maritimeboundaries.noaa.gov/downloads/USMaritimeLimitsAndBoundariesSHP.zip |
| Source Contribution: |
Delineation of the U.S./Canada international boundary. | Source Geospatial Form: vector digital data | Type of Source Media: online |
Process Steps
Process Step 1
| Description: |
1. Acquired national shoreline/s from authoritative sources (NOAA, BOEM, and NGA) to use as the inland extent of the Submerged Lands Act (SLA) boundary. 2. Acquired international borders (Canada and Mexico) from authoritative sources (OCS and USGS, respectively). 3. Acquired the seaward Submerged Lands Act line work from BOEM (Lower 48 and Alaska only). Acquired NOAA 3nm line work from OCS (via email) for Hawaii and those areas of Alaska that do not have a BOEM-defined SLA boundary. (NOTE: some western Hawaiian islands have a 3nm line based on reefs, rather than the source shoreline (via NGA) extents.) The Exclusive Economic Zone (derived from the Energy Policy Act boundary) was used in places like Maine, Texas, and Washington state, where unclosed polylines in the BOEM SLA occurred over open water. 4. Created a national polygon shoreline, using the various shoreline sources and international borders. This was used as the landward extent of the SLA boundary. (NOTE: in northeast Alaska, the BOEM shoreline and OCS international boundary did not intersect. Used the NGA shoreline to close the small gap between these two sources.) 5. The seaward extent of the SLA boundary was generated in various ways, depending on the region and the respective data available. The methods are detailed as follows: 6. For the Lower 48, manually combined the BOEM SLA boundary, the OCS US/Canada boundary, and the USGS US/Mexico boundary. The Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) boundary was used where the BOEM SLA boundary was discontinuous (Florida) or did not connect with other boundaries (Washington State). 7. For Alaska, manually combined the BOEM SLA boundary and the OCS 3nm line. Where different component boundaries (polylines) did not meet/coincide, a line was drawn between the two at a perpendicular angle, based on the bearing of the line segment formed by the last two vertices of the "more official" boundary. For example, this was done in Alaska where the BOEM SLA and OCS 3nm lines did not line up. In such a case, the connecting line(s) was derived by adding a line perpendicular from the final line segment of the BOEM SLA boundary, per location. 8. For Hawaii, the respective features within the OCS 3nm boundary were extracted, as no published SLA boundary previously existed. 9. Combined all seaward extents of the varying regions into one national feature class. 10. Combined the seaward and landward (i.e. shoreline) segment boundaries into one feature class, then converted to a polygon. Before converting to a polygon, had to address 13 topology errors within the BOEM SLA data, where very small gaps within the polyline existed. (Five errors were in Alaska and eight were in the Gulf of Mexico.) These gaps were closed by creating a straight line between the two end nodes. 11. Generated a Great Lakes polygon, using the NOAA medium resolution shoreline and the US/Canada international boundary. 12. Visually inspected boundary extents to make sure they were coincident to respective data source boundaries. 13. Added fields and populated according to data dictionary. 2022-10-25 14. Executed REPAIR GEOMETRY function to remove non simple features and duplicate vertex features. 15. Executed the INTERSECT function with a one degree reference grid. 16. Adjusted the field sizes to better reflect the actual size of each field |
|---|---|
| Process Date/Time: | 2016-01-01 00:00:00 |
Child Items
Rubric scores updated every 15m
|
Type | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Entity | USStateSubmergedLands |
Catalog Details
| Catalog Item ID: | 48928 |
|---|---|
| GUID: | gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:48928 |
| Metadata Record Created By: | Anne Ball |
| Metadata Record Created: | 2017-11-14 15:56+0000 |
| Metadata Record Last Modified By: | Daniel Martin |
| Metadata Record Last Modified: | 2024-08-15 16:50+0000 |
| Metadata Record Published: | 2018-02-08 |
| Owner Org: | OCM |
| Metadata Publication Status: | Published Externally |
| Do Not Publish?: | N |
| Metadata Last Review Date: | 2018-02-08 |
| Metadata Review Frequency: | 1 Year |
| Metadata Next Review Date: | 2019-02-08 |