The Submerged Lands Act of 1953 is a U.S. federal law that recognized the title of the
states to submerged navigable lands within their boundaries at the time they entered the Union. They include navigable waterways, such as
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
s, as well as marine waters within the state's boundaries, generally three
geographical miles (almost exactly ) from the coastline.
The Submerged Lands Act of 1953 was immediately followed by the