What does the gradient boundary differentiate between?

The gradient boundary is a legal concept used to differentiate between the ownership of the streambed of a water body, which is typically state-owned, and the adjoining private land. In Texas, the gradient boundary delineates the point where the banks of a stream or river rise above the ordinary high water mark. This distinction determines that the state retains ownership of the streambed for navigable waters, while adjacent landowners hold rights to the land abutting the boundary.

This legal principle is important for land surveyors and property owners, as it affects property rights, and how landowners can utilize the stream and the momentum of water flow in relation to their land. Understanding this boundary is crucial in land surveying and management, particularly when dealing with waterways and adjacent land.

The other options are less relevant in this context. While they discuss various types of boundaries in land law and property rights, they do not specifically refer to the gradient boundary’s role in differentiating state-owned streambeds from private land.