Texas v. Louisiana, 426 U.S. 465 (1976)

Texas v. Louisiana

No. 36, Orig.

Argued January 19, 1976
Decided June 14, 1976
426 U.S. 465

ON EXCEPTIONS TO REPORT OF SPECIAL MASTER

Syllabus

Louisiana’s exception to the portion of the Special Master’s report that marks the boundary line between Louisiana and Texas in the Sabine River as it enters into Sabine Lake through the "middle pass," rather than in the geographic middle of the "west pass," is overruled, where the Special Master’s determination is consistent with this Court’s rejection of the thalweg doctrine in Texas v. Louisiana, 410 U.S. 702; and Texas’ exceptions to the Special Master’s delimitation of the lateral seaward boundary are overruled, where the Special Master, after having correctly concluded that there has never been an established offshore boundary between the States, correctly applied the Convention on the Territorial Sea and Contiguous Zone, Arts. 12 and 8 of which clearly require that the median line be measured with reference to the jetties at the mouth of the Sabine River.