Pacific Ocean Boundaries

WASHINGTON (CN) - A 111-page decree that the Supreme Court published Monday clarifies the U.S. government and California's respective Pacific Ocean rights.

Since the Supreme Court first published the decree on Oct. 27, 1947, it has issued four previous supplements, according to the order.

The last supplement before Monday's was published in 1981.

Monday's supplement purports to serve "the purpose of identifying with greater particularity the boundary line between the submerged lands of California and those of the United States."

Most of the filing consists of geographical coordinates where the federal-state boundary line lies, parallel to the coastline of mainland California.

Aside from three conclusion paragraphs, and a map, the fifth supplemental decree states:

"As against the United States, with the exceptions provided by Section 5 of the Submerged Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 1313, the State of California is entitled to all lands, minerals, and other natural resources underlying the Pacific Ocean, bounded on the south by the international boundary with the United Mexican States and on the north by the boundary between the States of California and Oregon and an extension thereof, that lie landward of the lines described in paragraph 3 below.

"As against the State of California, the United States is entitled to all lands, minerals, and other natural resources underlying the Pacific Ocean, bounded on the south by the international boundary with the United Mexican States and on the north by the boundary between the States of California and Oregon and an extension thereof, that lie seaward o the lines described in paragraph 3 below."

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