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Newport Beach, Orange County. Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, photograph by Carol M. Highsmith.
The City of Newport Beach was granted sovereign tidelands and submerged lands in trust in 1919. This grant and its amendments were repealed in 1978 and a new grant was enacted granting the City all of the sovereign tide and submerged lands located within the City’s 1919 city limits. The grant was for the establishment, improvement, and conduct of a harbor and for the promotion and accommodation of commerce and navigation, for public bathing beaches, public marinas, public aquatic playgrounds, and similar recreational facilities open to the general public and for the promotion and accommodation of these uses, for the preservation, maintenance, and enhancement of the land in its natural state and the re-establishment of the natural state of the lands so they may serve as ecological units for scientific study, as open space, and as environments which provide food and habitat for birds and marine life and which favorably affect the scenery and climate of the area.
- AB 691 Sea Level Rise Impact Assessment
- Annual Financial Statements
- Boundary Agreements, Exchange Agreements, Title Settlements
- Granting Statutes
- Staff Reports
The City is required by Section 6306 of the Public Resources Code to complete an annual financial statement and standardized reporting form for trust lands on or before December 31 of each year.
Below is a list of reports the City has submitted:
| Settlement / Agreement Number | Description |
|---|---|
| AD 113 | Transfer of municipal property to City of Newport Beach Tidelands Trust |
| AD 408 | Newport Beach City dedication of land for public trust purposes from Beacon Bay in compliance with CH 74, STATS 1978, SECTION 2.5(B) as added by CH 317, STATS 1997, SECTION 3 |
| AD 596 | Compromise title settlement and land exchange agreement regarding certain lands in the vicinity of Lower Newport Bay and City of Newport Beach, California |
| AD 651 | Consider boundary line agreement involving real property in and adjacent to Newport Bay at 2808 Lafayette avenue in the city of Newport Beach |
Legislative granting statutes for the City of Newport Beach, Orange County.
| Statute Year | Chapter | Description | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 286 | An act to add Section 5.6 to Chapter 74 of the Statutes of 1978, relating to resources. | |
| 2004 | 361 | An act to amend Section 2 of Chapter 317 of the Statutes of 1997, to add Sections 4.5 and 5.5 to Chapter 74 of the Statutes of 1978, and to add Sections 2 and 3 to Chapter 526 of the Statutes of 1919, relating to public trust lands. | |
| 2001 | 745 | An act to amend … Section 1 of Chapter 74 of the Statutes of 1978 … | |
| 1997 | 317 | An act to amend Sections 1 and 2 of Chapter 74 of, and to add Section 2.5 to, the Statutes of 1978, relating to tide and submerged lands in the City of Newport Beach. | |
| 1984 | 715 | An act relating to tide and submerged lands granted in trust to the County of Orange and to the City of Newport Beach. | |
| 1984 | 728 | An act to amend Section 6 of, and to add Section 4.5 to, Chapter 74 of the Statutes of 1978, relating to tide and submerged lands in the City of Newport Beach. | |
| 1978 | 74 | An act relating to tide and submerged lands in the City of Newport Beach, and in this connection repealing Chapter 494 of the Statutes of 1919, Chapter 70 of the Statutes of 1927, Chapter 142 of the Statutes of 1929, Chapter 574 of the Statutes of 1929, Chapter 813 of the Statutes of 1929, and Chapter 200 of the Statutes of 1931. | |
| 1953 | 1096 | An act declaring certain lands in the City of Newport Beach, County of Orange, free from the public trust for navigation and fisheries and declaring same to be free from certain trusts, uses and conditions. | |
| 1935 | 448 | An act authorizing suit against the State of California to quiet title against it to certain real property in the city of Newport Beach, California. | |
| 1931 | 200 | An act to establish the line of ordinary high tide in certain parts of Newport bay in Orange county, California, in conformity with certain decrees of the superior court of the State of California, in and for the county of Orange, establishing said line of ordinary high tide. | REPEALED by Chapter 74 |
| 1929 | 142 | An act to establish the line of ordinary high tide in certain parts of Newport bay in Orange county, California, in conformity with and to confirm certain decrees of the superior court of the State of California, in and for the county of Orange, establishing said line of ordinary high tide, and to confirm the grants of tidelands heretofore made to the city of Newport Beach. | REPEALED by Chapter 74 |
| 1929 | 574 | An act relating to the granting of franchises upon, and leases of, certain tidelands heretofore granted to the city of Newport Beach by the State of California. | REPEALED by Chapter 74 |
| 1929 | 813 | An act granting certain tidelands, submerged lands and filled lands of the State of California, to the city of Newport Beach, upon certain trusts and conditions. | REPEALED by Chapter 74 |
| 1927 | 70 | An act granting certain tidelands and submerged lands of the State of California to the city of Newport Beach upon certain trusts and conditions. | REPEALED by Chapter 74 |
| 1925 | 121 | An act providing for the leasing of tide and submerged lands of the State of California filled in through dredging operations. | REPEALED by Chapter 609 (1943) |
| 1919 | 494 | An act granting certain tidelands and submerged lands of the State of California to the city of Newport Beach, upon certain trusts and conditions. | REPEALED by Chapter 74 |
| 1919 | 495 | An act granting to the city of Newport Beach, a municipal corporation, the right and authority to construct and maintain sewer, water, gas, and other conduits upon public lands. |
All staff reports relating to the grant held by the City of Newport Beach, Orange County.
| Meeting Date | Item | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-06-23 | 50 | Consider approval of the City of Newport Beach’s proposed Second Amended and Restated Ground Lease for the Balboa Bay Club property, located on legislatively granted Public Trust Lands in Newport Beach – Item pulled from agenda |
| 2025-12-16 | 105 | Consider acceptance of the “Report on the City of Newport Beach’s Public Trust Lands Management” and provide direction to staff on next steps. |
| 2025-08-21 | 66 | Report developed by Commission staff titled “Report on the City of Newport Beach’s Public Trust Lands Management”. |
| 2016-12-06 | 63 | Consider approval of a record of survey depicting the location of a portion of the legislative trust grant to the City of Newport Beach within the Semeniuk Slough portion of the former channel of the Santa Ana River |
| 2015-08-19 | 73 | Consider a boundary line agreement involving real property in and adjacent to Newport Bay at 2808 Lafayette Avenue, City of Newport Beach |
| 2014-04-23 | 78 | Review the proposed expenditure of tidelands funds, in an amount not to exceed $6,132,900, for capital improvement projects located within legislatively-granted sovereign land |
| 2014-02-21 | 63 | Consider approving a loan of $6,132,900 from the general fund to the Newport Harbor Capital Fund for the development of the marina portion of Marina Park |
| 2013-12-02 | 116 | Consideration of proposed expenditures of $3,061,000 of tideland funds for capital improvement projects |
| 2013-09-20 | 115 | Consider approval of proposed lease pursuant to Chapter 728, Statutes of 1994 (Balboa Bay Club property) |
| 2013-07-12 | 1 | Consider approval of the proposed resolution of the city council pursuant to Public Resources Code Sections 7060 and 7061, to enter into an operating agreement for the management of oil, gas and other hydrocarbons |
| 2013-06-21 | 88 | Consider approval of the establishment of a Newport Harbor Capital Fund to fund Newport Harbor capital improvements and maintenance activities within the Newport Harbor |
| 2013-06-21 | 90 | Consider approval of an amended lease for the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Harbor located within legislatively-granted sovereign land in the City of Newport Beach – Item pulled from agenda |
| 2012-10-19 | 69 | Amendment of dredging lease |
| 2012-03-29 | 77 | Review of proposed Beacon Bay lease involving legislatively granted filled tide and submerged lands located in Beacon Bay |
| 2011-09-01 | 73 | Consider a compromise title settlement and land exchange agreement regarding certain lands in the vicinity of Lower Newport Bay |
| 2008-10-16 | 19 | Dredging lease |
| 2005-02-17 | 29 | Review of proposed common area lease involving legislatively-granted filled tide and submerged lands located in Beacon Bay |
| 2002-12-16 | 52 | Consider authorization to expend specified Kapiloff Land Bank Fund receipts for granted lands program |
| 1999-12-03 | 23 | Compliance with Chapter 74, Statutes of 1978, section 2.5(B) as added by Chapter 317, Statutes of 1997, section 3 |
| 1996-08-21 | 77 | Consider approval of proposed lease pursuant to Chapter 728, Statutes of 1994 (Balboa Bay Club property) |
| 1994-05-26 | 42 | Review of proposed leases involving granted filled tide and submerged lands – Beacon Bay |
| 1994-04-06 | 49 | Review of City of Newport Beach proposed leases involving granted filled tide and submerged lands in Beacon Bay, Orange County – Item pulled from agenda |
| 1993-11-09 | 27 | Review of proposed leases involving granted filled tide and submerged lands |
| 1983-01-27 | 35 | Development of oil and gas resources on tide and submerged lands granted in trust – Item pulled from agenda |
| 1981-05-28 | 27 | Summary of proposed compliance with Statutes of 1978, Chapter 74 (Beacon Bay) by the City |
| 1981-04-29 | 17 | Development of oil and gas resources on tide and submerged lands granted in trust |
| 1981-03-05 | 25 | Development of oil and gas resources on tide and submerged lands |
| 1941-04-04 | page 247 of minutes |