Texas Surveyors Practice Exam 2025 - Free Surveyors Practice Questions and Study Guide

Ownership of new accretions is typically determined based on the proportional shoreline method. This method recognizes the natural process of accretion, where land is gradually added to an existing shoreline due to the deposition of sediment by water. Under this method, each landowner’s rights are generally proportional to their existing land adjacent to the water.

This means that when new land is created through accretion, it is allocated according to the amount of shoreline each property owner originally held. This principle helps to ensure that neighboring landowners share the benefits of newly formed land in a fair and equitable manner, reflecting their original investments and rights along the shoreline.

Other methods, such as using a lottery system, public auctions, or determining ownership by historical deeds, do not align with the principles of equitable land distribution and natural processes associated with shoreline changes. These alternatives fail to adequately recognize the dynamic nature of land adjacent to bodies of water or do not consider the proportional relationships between landowners.