Arkansas v. Mississippi
Headline: Court fixes the Arkansas–Mississippi boundary along the Mississippi River near Bordeaux Point, adopting historic surveys and maps that assign islands, bends, and nearby land to each state and clarify ownership and control.
Holding: The Court adopted the Special Master’s report and entered a final decree fixing the Arkansas–Mississippi boundary near Bordeaux Point, assigning specific river segments and lands to each State based on surveys and thalweg locations.
- Clarifies whether specific islands and river bends are part of Arkansas or Mississippi.
- Official maps and surveys will be filed in county land records for clear property records.
- Determines which state governs taxes, services, and land use on affected parcels.
Summary
Background
The dispute involved the States of Arkansas and Mississippi over where their common boundary runs in the Mississippi River near Bordeaux Point, including areas called Old Walnut Bend, Whiskey Island/Bordeaux Island, and Fox Island Bend. A Special Master prepared a report and the parties submitted a stipulation proposing an agreed final decree. The decree defines “thalweg” as the middle of the main navigable channel and relies on historic events and surveys, including the 1874–1883 Bordeaux Chute Cutoff, the 1942 Hardin Point Cutoff, an 1883 fixed thalweg, the 1974–1975 W. H. Guyer survey, and the 1947 St. George Richardson survey (Exhibits A–D).
Reasoning
The core question was a simple geographic one: exactly where is the state line in this reach of the river? The court adopted the Special Master’s report and entered a final decree that fixes the boundary by identifying four labeled segments (A–D). Some stretches follow the live thalweg of the river (the main channel), one stretch follows the 1883 fixed thalweg established after the Bordeaux Cutoff and the Guyer survey, and another follows the Richardson 1947 survey. The decree lists precise geodetic coordinates and map references. As a result, particular parcels and river features are allocated to either Arkansas or Mississippi.
Real world impact
The decree makes clear which lands are wholly within Arkansas and which are within Mississippi, and directs filing of full-size certified maps with Lee County and Tunica County land records. That filing will guide local property records, taxes, and governance for the affected parcels.
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