Subject: Re: The elusive LAMSUS
Date: Dec 11, 2003 @ 01:33
Author: acroorca2002 ("acroorca2002" <orc@...>)
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> After considerable research, I can describe the location of theLAMSUS tripoint
> between Louisiana, Mississippi, and federal waters.the Mississippi
>
> In their 1985 decision on the historic internal waters status of
> Sound, the Supremes ordered the Special Master to consult with thestates of
> Mississippi and Alabama and the US to devise the seaward boundaryof those
> states pursuant to their decision. That was accomplished by 1988,but the
> Master balked at making the stitch between the Mississippi boundary3nm south of
> the Sound's barrier islands and the already determined boundary ofLouisiana.
> He did so on the grounds that the stitch was unrelated to thequestion most
> recently before the court (whether the Mississippi Sound wasinternal), and
> therefore beyond the authority of the Court's referral to him. TheSupremes
> agreed, issuing final decree in the Alabama boundary, and in thatof Mississippi
> as far as the Master had gone. However, they granted Mississippiand the US
> leave to file a separate complaint as to their respective claimsto "any
> undecided portion of Chandeleur Sound." This would result ingetting the stitch
> made.a solution
>
> Pursuant to that leave, Mississippi and the US readily agreed upon
> and presented it to the Supremes for their approval. This wasgranted in the
> decree Mississippi v. U.S. On Bill of Complaint (1990) at 489 US16. The decree
> says:represent and
> _________________
>
> ..the following line is stipulated by the parties to henceforth
> permanently mark the line from which Mississippi's Submerged LandsAct grant is
> measured:westerly segment
>
> A straight line from a point on the southern shore of the most
> of Ship Island where X = 463004.481 and Y = 196885.896 in theMississippi plane
> coordinate system, east zone, and X = 2752646.58 and Y = 568331.88in the
> Louisiana plane coordinate system, south zone, to a point near thenorthern tip
> of the most northerly of the Chandeleur Islands where X = 2775787and Y = 513796
> in the Louisiana plane coordinate system, south zone, so far assaid line lies
> on the Mississippi side of the Mississippi-Louisiana boundary.mouth of the
> _________________
>
> The effect of this is to draw a closing line across the northeast
> internal waters of Chandeleur Sound from the nearest point on thesouth shore of
> Ship Island south-southeastward to the north point of theChandeleur Islands in
> Louisiana, and then give Mississippi 3nm out from that baseline.from which to
>
> This is the same closing line that had been used as the baseline
> measure Louisiana's 3nm line in the final one of its boundarydecrees.
>Louisiana
> Thus, if you will go to the Official Map of Louisiana 2000, at
> http://www.avenza.com/MPcomp/2001/maps/GenPurp_Snead.jpg
> you will find the LAMSUS tripoint at the place where the depicted
> boundary comes to an obtuse angle north of the northern end ofChandeleur
> Island. The MSUS boundary (not shown) would go north-northwestwardfrom this
> point until it reached the 3nm arc from Ship Island.
>
> Whew! I hope that's done.
>
> Lowell G. McManus
> Leesville, Louisiana, USA