Tidelands, also known as riparian lands, are all lands that are currently and formerly flowed by the mean high tide of a natural waterway. Barnegat Bay, a naturally tidal body of water, is an example of tidelands. However, New Creek, a tiny tidal stream that flowed through the city of Newark a century ago but has since been filled in and built over, is also an example of tidelands . New Jersey contains an extensive network of tidelands, both big and small.
The State of New Jersey claims ownership of these tidelands and holds them in trust for the people of the state. All tidelands are overseen by the Tidelands Resource Council, a board of twelve Governor-appointed volunteers, along with DEP staff at the Bureau of Tidelands Management.