Texas · Through 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025

Tex. Natural Resources Code § 11.012: GULFWARD BOUNDARY OF TEXAS.

(a) The gulfward boundary of the State of Texas is the boundary determined in and pursuant to the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Texas v. Louisiana, 426 U.S. 465 (1976).
(b) The State of Texas has full sovereignty over the water, the beds and shores, and the arms of the Gulf of Mexico within its boundaries as provided in Subsection (a) of this section, subject only to the right of the United States to regulate foreign and interstate commerce under Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution, and the power of the United States over admiralty and maritime jurisdiction under Article III, Section 2 of the United States Constitution.
(c) The State of Texas owns the water and the beds and shores of the Gulf of Mexico and the arms of the Gulf of Mexico within the boundaries provided in this section, including all land which is covered by the Gulf of Mexico and the arms of the Gulf of Mexico either at low tide or high tide.
(d) None of the provisions of this section may be construed to relinquish any dominion, sovereignty, territory, property, or rights of the State of Texas previously held by the state.
Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2349, ch. 871, art. I, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1977.

Where this section sits in the code

NATURAL RESOURCES CODE
TITLE 2. PUBLIC DOMAIN
SUBTITLE A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
CHAPTER 11. PROVISIONS GENERALLY APPLICABLE TO THE PUBLIC DOMAIN
SUBCHAPTER B. TERRITORY AND BOUNDARIES OF THE STATE

(a) The gulfward boundary of the State of Texas is the boundary determined in and pursuant to the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Texas v. Louisiana, 426 U.S. 465 (1976).

(b) The State of Texas has full sovereignty over the water, the beds and shores, and the arms of the Gulf of Mexico within its boundaries as provided in Subsection (a) of this section, subject only to the right of the United States to regulate foreign and interstate commerce under Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution, and the power of the United States over admiralty and maritime jurisdiction under Article III, Section 2 of the United States Constitution.

(c) The State of Texas owns the water and the beds and shores of the Gulf of Mexico and the arms of the Gulf of Mexico within the boundaries provided in this section, including all land which is covered by the Gulf of Mexico and the arms of the Gulf of Mexico either at low tide or high tide.

(d) None of the provisions of this section may be construed to relinquish any dominion, sovereignty, territory, property, or rights of the State of Texas previously held by the state.

Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2349, ch. 871, art. I, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1977.

Collected 2026-08-27T01:47:28Z. Source file · JSON

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