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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>76592</law_id><section_number>28.2-629</section_number><catch_line>Rights of owner to waters within lawful survey</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="28.2">Fisheries and Habitat of the Tidal Waters</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Tidal Fisheries</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="6">Planting Grounds</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="3">Assignment, Transfer, Condemnation; Other Grounds</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>If any creek, cove, or inlet within the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> of this Commonwealth flows into or runs through the lands of any person, is less than 100 yards in width at mean low water, and is comprised within the limits of his lawful survey, as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Rights of owners to extend to mean low-water mark" href="/28.2-1202/">28.2-1202</a>, such person or other lawful occupant shall have the exclusive right to use the creek, cove, or inlet for sowing or planting oysters or other <span class="dictionary">shellfish</span>. However, in the County of Mathews the owners or lawful occupants of land on both sides of any creek, cove, or inlet, except Horn Harbor, Winter Harbor, and Milford Haven, suitable for the planting of oysters, above the point where such creek, cove, or inlet is 100 yards in width, shall have the exclusive right to use such creek, cove, or inlet for planting oysters. The right of the owners or occupants of land on the opposite sides of such creek, cove, or inlet extends to the middle of the channel.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 28-132; 1962, c. 406, &#xA7; 28.1-116; 1964, c. 393; 1966, c. 656; 1968, cc. 659, 747; 1972, c. 539; 1992, c. 836.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
