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A landmark Indiana Supreme Court decision certifying state ownership and guaranteeing public recreational use of the Lake Michigan shoreline is set to be codified in Indiana law.

On Wednesday, the General Assembly gave final approval to House Enrolled Act 1385, enshrining the core holdings of the high court's 2018 Gunderson v. State ruling in Indiana statutes.

If signed into law later this month by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb, the Indiana Code explicitly will declare the shoreline of Lake Michigan up to the ordinary high-water mark is, and always has been, owned by the state.

That mark is defined as the line on the shore established by the fluctuations of water and indicated by physical characteristics, such as a clear and natural line on the bank, shelving or changes in the soil's character.

The legislation confirms Hoosiers have a right to use the shoreline for walking, fishing, boating, swimming and any other recreational purpose for which Lake Michigan ordinarily is used, and adjacent private property owners are not entitled to exclusive use of the beach or the water.