Where does the outer Continental Shelf start?
The “outer continental shelf” is a jurisdictional term used to describe those submerged lands that lie seaward of state water boundaries; three marine leagues or 10.36 statutory miles off Florida’s west coast and 3 nautical miles off the east coast.
What is considered the outer Continental Shelf?
The term “outer Continental Shelf” refers to all submerged land, its subsoil and seabed that belong to the United States and are lying seaward and outside the states’ jurisdiction, the latter defined as the “lands beneath navigable waters” in Title 43, Chapter 29, Subchapter I, Section 1301.
What did the Submerged Lands Act of 1953 do?
Submerged Lands Act (SLA) of 1953, 43 U.S.C. § 1301 et seq., 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.
What is the Submerged Lands Act boundary?
The Submerged Lands Act Boundary (also known as the State Seaward Boundary or Fed-State Boundary) defines the seaward limit of a state’s submerged lands and the landward boundary of federally managed outer Continental Shelf lands.
Where is the continental shelf located?
A continental shelf extends from the coastline of a continent to a drop-off point called the shelf break. From the break, the shelf descends toward the deep ocean floor in what is called the continental slope. Even though they are underwater, continental shelves are part of the continent.
Where does the continental shelf end?
A continental shelf typically extends from the coast to depths of 100–200 metres (330–660 feet). It is gently inclined seaward at an average slope of about 0.1°. In nearly all instances, it ends at its seaward edge with an abrupt drop called the shelf break.
When was Ocsla passed?
1953
The most important legislation for BOEM is the Outer continental shelf Lands Act (OCSLA), which Congress enacted in 1953. The primary purpose of OCSLA is to facilitate the federal government’s leasing of its offshore mineral resources and energy resources.
How far out is the continental shelf?
What is the name of the law passed in 1953 that established the offshore oil and gas leasing system for the federal government?
The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act
The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, created on August 7, 1953, defines the OCS as all submerged lands lying seaward of state coastal waters (3 miles offshore) which are under U.S. jurisdiction.
What is meant by submerged land?
A land which remains submerged with water and which cannot be used.
What is a submerged land?
Submerged lands means land covered by tidal waters between the line of mean low water and seaward to a distance of three geographic miles, in their natural state, without being affected by man-made structure, fill, and so forth.
Do islands have a continental shelf?
Islands. Islands possess the same maritime zones as other landmasses, including a territorial sea, contiguous zone, EEZ, and continental shelf.