43 U.S.C. § 2105 : US Code - Section 2105: Rights of ownership

Search 43 U.S.C. § 2105 : US Code - Section 2105: Rights of ownership

(a) United States title
The United States asserts title to any abandoned shipwreck that
is -
(1) embedded in submerged lands of a State;
(2) embedded in coralline formations protected by a State on
submerged lands of a State; or
(3) on submerged lands of a State and is included in or
determined eligible for inclusion in the National Register.
(b) Notice of shipwreck location; eligibility determination for
inclusion in National Register of Historic Places
The public shall be given adequate notice of the location of any
shipwreck to which title is asserted under this section. The
Secretary of the Interior, after consultation with the appropriate
State Historic Preservation Officer, shall make a written
determination that an abandoned shipwreck meets the criteria for
eligibility for inclusion in the National Register of Historic
Places under clause (a)(3) of this section.
(c) Transfer of title to States
The title of the United States to any abandoned shipwreck
asserted under subsection (a) of this section is transferred to the
State in or on whose submerged lands the shipwreck is located.
(d) Exception
Any abandoned shipwreck in or on the public lands of the United
States is the property of the United States Government. Any
abandoned shipwreck in or on any Indian lands is the property of
the Indian tribe owning such lands.
(e) Reservation of rights
This section does not affect any right reserved by the United
States or by any State (including any right reserved with respect
to Indian lands) under -
(1) section 1311, 1313, or 1314 of this title; or
(2) section 414 or 415 of title 33.