October Term 2004 · Docket 128 ORIG.

Does Alaska own the submerged lands in Glacier Bay?

Alaska claims title to submerged lands in Glacier Bay. The United States argues it retained those lands.

Official caption: Alaska v. United States
Latest argument session: 2005-01-10
Latest official Court activity: 2005-01-10
Latest verified event: Argued
Sources analyzed through: Official Transcript

Verified source milestones

2026-08-29 — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
2026-08-29 — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.

The arguments, in order

This case may have been argued more than once. Each entry below uses that session's official transcript. Later arguments do not erase earlier ones.

Argument 1 · 2005-01-10

What happened at the argument
Alaska's counsel argued the statehood act is insufficient. He cited the Idaho case principles. He emphasized the need for explicit ratification.
The United States counsel argued for federal retention. He referenced the Glacier Bay context. He disputed the adequacy of Alaska's showing.
Justices questioned the clarity of congressional intent. They probed the relationship between park status and land title. They examined the specific statutory language.

Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 15-35 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 15-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 15-29 — Transcript, file page 27, lines 15-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 15-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 5-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 33-39 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 33-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 37-45 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 37-45
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 27-23 — Transcript, file page 52, lines 27-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 35-33 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 35-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 56, lines 35-39 — Transcript, file page 56, lines 35-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 19-23 — Transcript, file page 57, lines 19-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 27-29 — Transcript, file page 57, lines 27-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 33-35 — Transcript, file page 58, lines 33-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 11-13 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 11-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 27-31 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 27-31
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 39-43 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 39-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 21-25 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 21-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 29-33 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 29-33
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 37-39 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 37-39
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 15-19 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 15-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 31-5 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 31-5
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 9-11 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 9-11

A citizen's guide to the whole case

What this case is about

This case tests state ownership of underwater lands. The dispute centers on Glacier Bay National Park. Alaska seeks title to these submerged areas. The federal government asserts it kept them.