Michigan v. Wisconsin
Headline: Fixes and finally establishes Michigan–Wisconsin boundary along rivers, Green Bay, and Lake Michigan; assigns islands and declares Merryman’s and Sugar Islands part of Michigan, while splitting the Court’s costs equally.
Holding:
- Permanently fixes the Michigan–Wisconsin state boundary through rivers, bays, and Lake Michigan.
- Assigns islands in Brulé and Menominee rivers and declares Merryman’s and Sugar Islands part of Michigan.
- Splits the Court’s costs of the proceeding equally between the two States.
Summary
Background
The dispute is between the States of Michigan and Wisconsin. The Court had already announced its legal conclusions in an opinion of March 1, 1926, and this decree was issued to carry that opinion into effect. The decree describes a precise boundary line starting at Lake Superior, following the main channel of the Montreal River and the headwaters as shown in Captain Cram’s survey, continuing along William A. Burt’s 1847 survey through Middle and South Islands and Lake Brulé, down the Brulé and Menominee rivers, across Green Bay by specified ship channels and distances, and into the middle of Lake Michigan.
Reasoning
The practical question addressed was how to fix the exact line between the two States and how to allocate islands encountered along that course. The Court fixed the boundary by naming specific watercourses, survey lines, compass courses, and measured distances. It ordered that the Brulé and Menominee river sections follow the main channel, but where islands occur the line is drawn through the channel nearest the Wisconsin bank (up to Quinnesec Falls) so those islands belong to Michigan; below Quinnesec Falls the line uses the channel nearest the Michigan bank so those islands belong to Wisconsin. The decree also determines that the land known as “Merryman’s Island” and the land known as “Sugar Island” are part of the mainland of Michigan. The Court ordered that the costs of the proceeding be divided equally between the two States.
Real world impact
This decree finally establishes the border and resolves which State controls specific islands and water channels along the route. It settles ownership questions for the named islands and apportions the Court’s costs equally between Michigan and Wisconsin.
Ask about this case
Ask questions about the entire case, including all opinions (majority, concurrences, dissents).
What was the Court's main decision and reasoning?
How did the dissenting opinions differ from the majority?
What are the practical implications of this ruling?