Submerged Lands Act

The Submerged Lands Act of 1953 (codified at 43 U.S.C. § 1301 et seq.) is a U.S. federal law that grants states title to all submerged navigable lands within their boundaries. This includes navigable waterways, such as rivers, as well as marine waters within the state's boundaries—generally three geographical miles (almost exactly 3 nautical miles or 5.6 kilometres) from the coastline.^[1]

The Submerged Lands Act of 1953 was immediately followed by the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (August 7, 1953.) Under the OCSLA, the Secretary of the Interior is responsible for the administration of mineral exploration and development of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Under OCSLA, the Secretary of the Interior is empowered to grant leases to the highest qualified responsible bidder and to formulate regulations as necessary to carry out the provisions of the Act. OCSLA provides guidelines for implementing an OCS[Continental Shelf] oil and gas exploration and development program.^[2]

References

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