Yes! The compact sends cartographers back to the drawing boards with their
erasers in hand. A well-trained monkey could now find the OKTX boundary on a
current aerial photo!
The compact says that the implementation and future evolution of the vegetation
line boundary will never affect the ownership of property or of tribal
sovereignty in either state. Each state will recognize land titles that are
legal under the laws of the other. Property taxes for each given year will be
owed to whichever jurisdiction contains the property or whatever portion of it
on January 1.
Interestingly, the compact had the general support of landowners because it
brought some sanity to their lives for the first time! Before this compact, the
Red River segment of OKTX was the sorriest excuse for a state boundary in the
country.
Lowell G. McManus
Leesville, Louisiana, USA
----- Original Message -----
From: "Flynn, Kevin" <flynnk@...>
To: <BoundaryPoint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2003 6:42 PM
Subject: RE: [BoundaryPoint] Oklahoma / Texas Border - River Borders
SO the compact overrides all of the boundary lines we see on dry land on
Topozone, including the old meanders. and substitutes a living, moving
boundary? Interesting. What happens to property owners caught up in a shift
of state when the bulbs and meanders are absorbed into the state by which
they are connected on dry land?
-----Original Message-----
From: Lowell G. McManus [mailto:mcmanus71496@...]
Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2003 5:26 PM
To: Boundary Point
Subject: Re: [BoundaryPoint] Oklahoma / Texas Border - River Borders
Here's the latest on the OKTX boundary, of which some are apparently
unaware:
The boundary was drastically rectified and permanently established in the
Red
River Boundary Compact. With ratification by the two states and the consent
of
the Congress, it became effective on August 31, 2000. Consent to the
compact
was also sought and obtained from the Choctaw and Chickasaw nations and from
the
Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache tribes, although these Indian consents were not
necessary.
In the words of the compact, "The permanent political boundary line between
the
states of Oklahoma and Texas along the Red River is the vegetation line
along
the south bank of the Red River except for [through Lake Tacoma,where the
pre-reservoir boundary line was to be marked with buoys]... On the
effective
date of this compact, the party states agree that the State of Oklahoma
possesses sovereignty over all lands north of the boundary line established
by
this compact and that the State of Texas possesses sovereignty over all
lands
south of the boundary line established by this compact."
That instantly eliminated multitudes of all wildly wandering cut-offs on the
opposite sides of the river. The compact provides for the instant movement
of
the boundary with all future movements of the vegetation line, whether by
accretion, erosion, or even avulsion. Simply put, whenever the vegetation
line
moves by any natural means, the boundary moves with it. The stated purpose
of
the compact is "Placement of the boundary at a location that can be visually
identified or located without the necessity of a current survey..." It also
states, "The interests of the party states are better served by establishing
the
boundary between the states through use of a readily identifiable natural
landmark than through use of an artificial survey line."
You can read the Red River Boundary Compact at http://tinyurl.com/ttqt .
The ARTX boundary on the Red River, downstream of the OKTX boundary, remains
a
mess. There too, the south bank of the river is the boundary, based on the
Adams-de Onís Treaty between the USA and Spain. Mike sent us a map of the
area
near New Boston, Texas. Just ten days ago, I crossed the bridge that
connects
Arkansas 41 to Texas 8, north of New Boston. It's a new bridge, about
three
years old. In addition to the usual state welcome signs at the respective
ends
of the bridge, there are two small green signs on the railings that say only
"State Line." This notice is given at a point well south of the south bank
of
the meandering river.
Lowell G. McManus
Leesville, Louisiana, USA
----- Original Message -----
From: "voit1" <voit1@...>
To: <BoundaryPoint@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2003 11:38 AM
Subject: [BoundaryPoint] Oklahoma / Texas Border - River Borders
> The Texas border stops at the "southern" edge of the Red River. I
> have heard conflicting information about the start of the Oklahoma
> border. I have heard that the OK border start in the center of the
> river with the space between the OK and TX borders being some Coast
> Guard controled federal something or other... seems odd... any
> thoughts?
>
> Also, and likely a more interesting question...Are there other
> examples where a border runs at the edge of a river, lake, etc. and
> not in the center?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>
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