I am glad you asked. In
many cases the creek is actually the property line and as you know creek can
move over time. There are two processes that affect creek movement. Let’s
define both:
Erosion: Erosion is the general name for the processes that
break down rocks (weathering) and the processes that carry away the breakdown
products (transportation). The physical processes of erosion are called
corrasion or mechanical erosion; the chemical processes are called corrosion or
chemical erosion. But most examples of erosion include some of both corrasion
and corrosion.The agents of erosion are gravity, ice, water (eluvian erosion)
and wind (eolian erosion). In the case of your land… the creek can eat into the
bank and decrease that amount of land that you own!
Accretion: Slow
addition to land caused by the deposit of water-borne sediments. An increase of
land along the shores of a body of water, as by alluvial deposit. In the case
of your land, the deposit on the inside of a bend of the creek or river is
building up over time and increasing the amount of land that you own.
WHY IS THIS OF
INTEREST? If your property as along a
body of water such as a creek or river, you can either lose or gain property i.e.
if the centerline of the creek is your property line and the creeks moves, your
property line can move as well !!
For
Information on Buying or Selling Land contact G. Kent Morris, ALC, RF
at (706) 457-0090
