Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Water boundaries are not static and are subject to continuous change. Streams
meander, rivers change their boundaries and ocean shorelines change their shape
and location. There has been much litigation over how these changes affect littoral
or riparian rights. Here again, there are differences between the states.
Accretion
refers to the gradual accumulation of land by natural causes along a
water boundary.
Reliction
is the increase in land caused by the permanent with-
drawal of water. According to common law, soil added by accretion and reliction
becomes the property of the upland owner. Where the boundary is the thread of
a stream and the stream gradually changes direction and moves away from the
upland, thereby adding land, the upland owner continues to own to the thread of
the stream. The added land belongs to the upland owner. Where a stream moves
further onto the upland through the gradual process of erosion, the upland owner
loses the land. Reliction also occurs when lake waters subside.
Avulsion
means the sudden and perceptible removal or addition of land by
action of water or by a change in the course of a stream. Where a stream suddenly
changes direction the boundaries do not change. The boundary location remains at
the location of the original thread of the stream even though the stream has sud-
denly relocated itself. Where a stream forms a new course, an upland owner who
originally owned property only to the thread of the stream, may then own on both
sides of the stream, while the owner originally on the other side of the stream will
no longer own to the stream.
13.1 Tie Lines
As a result of the irregular nature of water boundaries, and because of the fact that
water boundaries are often determined by water elevation, it is often difficult to
provide precise dimensions to, or along these boundaries. When a plan is drawn
showing accurate bearings and distances around the perimeter of the property, the
lack of accurate dimensions along the water boundary does not allow a precise
boundary closure for the perimeter of the parcel. Surveyors get around this prob-
lem by using one or more
Tie Lines
. A tie line is simply a line that ignores the
water boundary. It is a line that connects the accurately dimensioned boundaries,
providing the missing bearing and distance so that the perimeter will have a math-
ematical closure. See Fig.
13.3
for an example of a tie line.
A tie line is simply a line that ignores the water boundary. It is a line that
connects the accurately dimensioned boundaries, providing the missing
bearing and distance so that the perimeter will have a mathematical closure.
A tie line has nothing to do with limits of ownership. It is merely a mathematical
convenience. It provides evidence that the description of the property boundaries
is mathematically correct. To avoid confusion about the actual claim of ownership,
