Use of certain tidelands, shorelands, and abutting bedlands — Grant to the United States — Purposes — Limitations.

RCW 79.125.760

in effect

The use of any tidelands, shorelands, and abutting bedlands covered with less than four fathoms of water at ordinary low tide belonging to the state, and adjoining and bordering on any tract, piece, or parcel of land, which may have been reserved or acquired, or which may be reserved or acquired, by the government of the United States, for the purposes of erecting and maintaining forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, navy yards, prisons, penitentiaries, lighthouses, fog signal stations, aviation fields, or other aids to navigation, may be granted to the United States, upon payment for the rights, so long as the upland adjoining the tidelands or shorelands shall continue to be held by the government of the United States for any of the public purposes above mentioned. However, this grant shall not extend to or include any aquatic lands covered by more than four fathoms of water at ordinary low tide; and shall not be construed to prevent any citizen of the state from using the lands for the taking of food fishes so long as the fishing does not interfere with the public use of them by the United States. The use of any tidelands, shorelands, and abutting bedlands covered with less than four fathoms of water at ordinary low tide belonging to the state, and adjoining and bordering on any tract, piece, or parcel of land, which may have been reserved or acquired, or which may be reserved or acquired, by the government of the United States, for the purposes of erecting and maintaining forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, navy yards, prisons, penitentiaries, lighthouses, fog signal stations, aviation fields, or other aids to navigation, may be granted to the United States, upon payment for the rights, so long as the upland adjoining the tidelands or shorelands shall continue to be held by the government of the United States for any of the public purposes above mentioned. However, this grant shall not extend to or include any aquatic lands covered by more than four fathoms of water at ordinary low tide; and shall not be construed to prevent any citizen of the state from using the lands for the taking of food fishes so long as the fishing does not interfere with the public use of them by the United States.

Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=79.125&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026