Pacific Loon and the border

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Hi Howard,

Thanks for the update!  15 consecutive days!  

A technicality relating to the border line:  
Where you saw the Pacific Loon is actually in DC waters.  The entire
Potomac River at Gravelly Point is part of the District of Columbia, all
the way up to mean high tide line.  The pool at the Roaches Run parking lot
(on the west side of the parkway) is in Virginia.  The state/district line
runs up against the shore, unlike most state borders.  It is a peculiarity
relating to the colonial charter for Virginia colony.  If the bird came out
of the water on to a rock on the shore during high tide, it would be in
Virginia.  

In fact, none of the Potomac north of the Wilson Bridge is in Virginia
waters, except for a couple hundred yards or off the shore from Jones Point
to Old Town Alexandria.  All the rest is part of DC.  The Lady Bird Johnson
memorial and nearby marina, and the "Virginia" base of Memorial Bridge, are
also in the District of Columbia, as they are north/east (aka inside) of
Boundary Channel.  

Sorry!  

Cheers, 

Rob Hilton
robert@csa.com
Bethesda, Md. 

At 09:14 AM 6/9/98 -0400, Howard Elitzak wrote:
>The Pacific Loon was still present at the mouth of Roaches Run (off
>Gravelly Point) during the evening of June 8.  For those of you who keep
>Virginia lists, please be aware that the bird was observed in D.C.
>waters.
>
>

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