DETECTING in the water WATER on the TREASURE COAST

[lookindown]

Why cant anyone tell you where the lease sites are or know where you can get a map of these sites...every time someone mentions it, people say you will get arrested and your machine confiscated...how are you supposed to know where they are if they aren't marked or there is no map for them?...Ive seen this question asked for years and no one has ever given an answer...here, Ill give you an example...Where is the Northern boundary of the lease sites, at what point can you go into the water north of Sebastian...maybe some people know and they wont answer.

 

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[Sandman]

I asked this question myself years ago and just gave up. Some of the info I received was false. I thought the best way was to hunt the area till the Swat team showed up.

 

[Jolly Mon]

Maps of the Brisben lease areas have been posted on this forum on a number of occasions.

There are other lease areas as well, such as the HRD Exploration leases.

The leases are not static and I seriously doubt the State of Florida is going to start an interactive web data base for the convenience of a few metal detecting enthusiasts.

I am not sure why people just will not accept the fact that the entire off shore shallow water area of Treasure Coast is locked up, because it is.

There are leases South and North of the Treasure Coast as well, but as a practical matter, with a few exception, I would guess you would not have a problem detecting from the Melbourne area north and from around Juno Beach and South until you get to the Keys...then a whole nother can of worms opens...

 

[ropesfish]

Here ya go:
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/shipwrecks/372156-underwater-leases.html
You'll have to distill what you want from it, but every word Jolly Mon says is true.
Maybe you could get the state to publish the maps delineating lease boundaries somewhere where normal people can find them, but I have lived here for almost a decade and haven't seen one yet.
Beach detect like a madman, but keep your feet dry from at least Patrick AFB south.

 

[Denniss]

I was very disappointed when I went out west about 10-15 years ago prospecting for gold. I had done a lot of research, studied topo maps, read about record nugget finds and was ready to go. I had my small RV and there was Bureau of Land Management, public property as far as the eye could see and I was ready to prospect. Everywhere had a mineral claim on it, I mean everywhere-including the dirt parking for two week dry camping area. You could hike the land, camp on it, shoot on it, and hunt on it. You could not metal detect or prospect for minerals. Everywhere had a post. Other people owned the mineral rights. It's the same with the Brisben leases, they have been bought and sold like a mining claim. You can fish, dive for lobster, swim or snorkel. You can not, metal detect, or hunt for treasure in the water. Someone else has bought the "claim", they own the rights to the ships


Here's a nice booklet that someone spent some time putting together, it answers a lot but not all of your questions http://www.mdhtalk.org/articles/beaches/1715-fleet/1715-article.pdf

 

[signal]

Its posted in places, the above link is good.

I have never heard of anyone getting arrested. If the county did not consent to the lease, documented and formally, then you can detect 3mi out as per 253.61

The reality is, if you find a coin, in the water, from 1930, you are suppose to LEGALLY contact the state, as this is an "antiquity", based on their elimination of the isolated finds law..........

Everyone has their own interpretation of the law..........in fact its created quite an enterprise (lawyers). Personally, I don't overthink this hobby. I detect, I use common sense, I am discreet, and I never have problems. Worst thing I have ever had happen to me was someone told me "don't do that".

 

[PhipsFolly]

It is important to know where the leased areas are when you plan to detect along any Florida Coastal area as you cannot detect in the waters where leases are located. However, you may detect in areas where there are no current leases BUT to quote Hillary Clinton (hehehe) "what difference does it make at this point?!!" It is illegal to disturb ANY state bottom lands and illegal to remove ANYTHING that is 50 years or older... So why detect if you can't dig up what up detected?!!! And it is a felony... So use your judgement and figure out for yourself whether it is worth the risk... [emoji90]

 

[signal]

Another option too, if you just happen to live on a Treasure Coast beach, and plan to hunt the hell out of the water, is apply for a sub-lease. Maybe $1000 or so, and you have to follow procedures, but it could be a legal means to detect even in a leased area. That's a lot of money, but most of us beach hunters find more than $1k/year just in random drops, let alone spanish wreck areas, so you could make it back, or at the very least have a blast trying to do so

 

[hobbit]

Without blowing holes your chances of finding shipwreck artifacts in the water in the 1715 fleet areas is about zilch in my opinion.

You could still dive and look for light items like pottery shards, etc., but of course you aren't supposed to pick them up because they are owned by the lease holder.

IMHO this is a little different than taking a chance on detecting on state submerged lands that are not leased...the people that have filed for leases deserve to have their rights respected. When you violate a lease, you aren't just flouting Tallahassee, you are violating another person's rights.

IMHO if you want to take a chance on doing something illegal, you have a much better chance of actually finding something down in the Keys off one of the 1733's or the countless other wrecks down there.

 

[Denniss]

Those waters that are not under lease are state owned. Digging underwater state sites is illegal, taking state owned underwater resources is illegal. Someone either obtained a lease and went to court to fight the state's challenges, or it belongs to the state and they do not want you removing anything from their domain



Florida Historical Resources Act Florida's antiquities law (Chapter 267, Florida Statutes), and administrative rules (Chapters 1A-31 and 1A-32, Florida Administrative Code) govern the use of publicly-owned archaeological and historical resources located on state property, both on land and in the water. Administered by the Florida Division of Historical resources, the law establishes programs and policies to encourage preservation of historic resources for the public benefit. State-owned underwater resources are those that are located on the bottom of navigable rivers, streams, lakes, bays, and offshore (in the Gulf of Mexico out to 10 miles, and in the Atlantic out to 3 miles). Major goals of Florida's historic preservation program are to identify, register, protect, and preserve significant historical resources which belong to the public. Divers are encouraged to participate in the identification, recording, and reporting of underwater sites in order to preserve them. However, disturbing or digging of publicly-owned sites is illegal unless permission is obtained in advance from the Division of Historical Resources. Intentional excavation of underwater sites without written authorization is considered a third-degree felony. Its best to record and report what you find, and seek help to proceed with further investigation. Currently, permission to conduct excavations on publicly-owned sites can take the following forms:

 

[Salvor6]

[QUOTE/] State-owned underwater resources are those that are located on the bottom of navigable rivers, streams, lakes, bays, and offshore (in the Gulf of Mexico out to 10 miles, and in the Atlantic out to 3 miles). Major goals of Florida's historic preservation program are to identify, register, protect, and preserve significant historical resources which belong to the public. Divers are encouraged to participate in the identification, recording, and reporting of underwater sites in order to preserve them. However, disturbing or digging of publicly-owned sites is illegal unless permission is obtained in advance from the Division of Historical Resources. Intentional excavation of underwater sites without written authorization is considered a third-degree felony. [/QUOTE]

I met an old man that was finding gold coins one mile off Clearwater Beach. He applied for an excavation permit and was denied. The state said there was no archaeological significance to his site since there was no ballast, wreckage, cannons, wood, etc. He still works the site with no permit.

 

[lookindown]

I was very disappointed when I went out west about 10-15 years ago prospecting for gold. I had done a lot of research, studied topo maps, read about record nugget finds and was ready to go. I had my small RV and there was Bureau of Land Management, public property as far as the eye could see and I was ready to prospect. Everywhere had a mineral claim on it, I mean everywhere-including the dirt parking for two week dry camping area. You could hike the land, camp on it, shoot on it, and hunt on it. You could not metal detect or prospect for minerals. Everywhere had a post. Other people owned the mineral rights. It's the same with the Brisben leases, they have been bought and sold like a mining claim. You can fish, dive for lobster, swim or snorkel. You can not, metal detect, or hunt for treasure in the water. Someone else has bought the "claim", they own the rights to the ships


Here's a nice booklet that someone spent some time putting together, it answers a lot but not all of your questions http://www.mdhtalk.org/articles/beaches/1715-fleet/1715-article.pdf

The link to that thread had more info about the lease sites and their boundaries than anything I have ever seen...thank you.

 

[ibjeepn]

The leases are a joke.

 

[signal]

Why cant anyone tell you where the lease sites are or know where you can get a map of these sites...every time someone mentions it, people say you will get arrested and your machine confiscated...how are you supposed to know where they are if they aren't marked or there is no map for them?...Ive seen this question asked for years and no one has ever given an answer...here, Ill give you an example...Where is the Northern boundary of the lease sites, at what point can you go into the water north of Sebastian...maybe some people know and they wont answer.

It would be very easy for the State to use ArcGIS, same software used by just about every municipality for other property records, to display where the leases are. In fact, I have no doubt they do this, just don't show it to everyone. They don't show it, because for whatever reason they must not want people to know.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Here you go and it has been posted here several times over the years...

Here is my copy of the lease areas on the east coast. As you can see, almost the whole east coast from Cape Canaveral to Miami is leased to someone.

View attachment 852086

I copied and pasted this list of the "Fisher leases" from a post of Wreckdiver1715's from 2007. I have no knowledge of anything more current.

BENT ANCHOR S32G 27.55.7N X 80.29.12W; East to 27.55.7N X 80.28.57W; South-southeast to 27.53.28N X 80.27.24W; West to 27.53.28N X 80.27.68W; then follow the mean low tide line to point of beginning.
CABIN WRECK S27 27.49.8N X 80.25.55W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of mean low tide line.
DOUGLAS BEACH S26 27.25.3N X 80.16.50W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
POWER PLANT S25 27.21.2N X 80.13.65W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
ANCHOR WRECK S23 27.48.2N X 80.24.70W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
SPRING OF WHITBY S23 27.46.0N X 80.23.83W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
RIO MAR S23 27.38.3N X 80.20.90W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
SANDY POINT S23 27.35.8N X 80.19.65W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
UNKNOWN S23 27.19.0N X 80.12.30W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.
CORRIGANS WRECK S25 27.46.2N X 80.22.67W is the center point of a 3,000 yard radius excluding all land west of the mean low tide line.

Link to the thread> http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/b...rson-go-out-water-treasure-coast-areas-2.html

Posted From My $50 Tablet....

 

[Red_desert]

It is important to know where the leased areas are when you plan to detect along any Florida Coastal area as you cannot detect in the waters where leases are located. However, you may detect in areas where there are no current leases BUT to quote Hillary Clinton (hehehe) "what difference does it make at this point?!!" It is illegal to disturb ANY state bottom lands and illegal to remove ANYTHING that is 50 years or older... So why detect if you can't dig up what up detected?!!! And it is a felony... So use your judgement and figure out for yourself whether it is worth the risk... [emoji90]

I emailed the Florida state parks service once about it. I waited until an email came from their PR specialist. The answer was that technically, metal detecting itself isn't banned, it is the digging holes which results from people treasure hunting. Metal detecting is permitted between the waterline and the toe of the dune where people normally dig holes.

Unless a designated archaeological site, is supposed to be allowed on beaches of state parks. He made a point of being on the same page as those local people in charge, not everyone agrees on where the waterline ends/begins. Obviously the water is off limits.

 

[huntsman53]

It would be very easy for the State to use ArcGIS, same software used by just about every municipality for other property records, to display where the leases are. In fact, I have no doubt they do this, just don't show it to everyone. They don't show it, because for whatever reason they must not want people to know.

If people don't know the boundaries and they don't provide the info, then they can confiscate more items found and even items not found in leased or protected areas! Ever wonder how much of the confiscated items never makes it to the State's Treasury or the rightful owners (per Leases)?? Well, it is a lot!


Frank

 

[FISHEYE]

It is also illegal to go in the water on a leased site with a bucket or scoop to disturb the bottom bringing up the sand to put on the beach for someone else to metal detect.

 

[Trez]

This PDF file isn't bad, it gives you all the boundaries etc with lat's etc...and links to all the State laws concerning many of the questions.
http://www.mdhtalk.org/articles/beaches/1715-fleet/1715-article.pdf

Trez

 

[FISHEYE]

That PDF needs updating as metal detecting at Mclarty's State Museum is not allowed in front of the museum riverside or in back on the beach side.