The shore is where the highest wave from the sea has reached.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) The boundary between sea and land is fixed at the line of the highest tide — everything below that line belongs to the public. In the American system, the sovereign is the People, and public trust lands below the high-water mark are held for their benefit, not for the government's exclusive use.

Where this applies

• A beachfront property owner and a fisherman dispute where the owner's land ends and the public shore begins, and the court draws the line at the highest tide mark.
• A developer builds a seawall and claims ownership of the newly exposed sand, but the court rules the shore extends to the highest wave line, which is public land.
• Two towns argue over which has jurisdiction over a stretch of coastline, and the boundary is settled by determining where the highest tide reaches.