GIS and Coastal Boundary Disputes: Where is Ellis Island? (Presentation)

Ellis Island is a significant historical site just up the bay from tiny Liberty Island in Upper New York Bay. Why? Because it was here that millions of immigrants first put foot in America. But where is Ellis Island? Until recently, a coastal boundary dispute between New York and New Jersey made the answer to that question uncertain. The island was originally only 3 or so acres but because of the filling of tidal waters around the island to create room to house and process the immigrants, the island grew to over 27 acres. New Jersey claimed jurisdiction to all those areas filled but New York insisted the entire island, no matter what its size, was hers based on a compact signed by the two states in 1834. In 1980 the State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), as part of the statewide effort to delineate tidelands delineated a claim line that essentially claimed the entire filled portion of Ellis Island, except the original three acres. (In New Jersey, all lands flowed by the tide now or formerly are owned by the state). New York objected. The states continued to squabble. Finally, in 1993, the State of New Jersey invoked the Supreme Courts jurisdiction to try the dispute. Coastal boundaries have historically been mapped on linen, and more recently mylar, but in this case the NJDEP invoked the modern technology of GIS to assist the state?s attorney general in preparing the case. Historic maps were scanned and registered to modern ortho-photography to assist in determining where and when areas were filled. GPS points were gathered and surveys made. All the digital data was then analyzed on the GIS to show where and how much fill was placed in the area. New Jersey used these data to argue that those areas filled after the compact were indeed still under the jurisdiction of New Jersey (Ellis Island is a National Park and therefore ownership was not the issue). A special master determined, and on May 26th 1998 the Supreme Court agreed, that New Jersey had sovereign authority over the filled land added to the original island. New York retained authority to the original 3-acre island. GIS was then used to implement the Supreme Court?s decision. NJDEP GIS scientists delineated the line between states using historical digital maps and adjusted the boundary line between states to the satisfaction of all parties. This paper will detail this historic decision and the implementation of the decision and the critical role GIS played.There is a companion paper to this presentation, linked below. See also: Professional Surveyor, July August 1999, Vol. 19, Number 6, pp 8-14.Purpose: Describes the Delineation of the jurisdictional boundary between New Jersey and New York, on Ellis Island, as per the Supreme Court ruling of 1998