CASSOPOLIS, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The border between Michigan and neighboring Indiana hasn’t been officially surveyed since 1827. So Cass County officials are making a move to make sure everything is in proper order.
On Thursday, the Cass County Board of Commissioners approved a surveying contract and state grant. That clears the way for the border to be resurveyed and markers placed along the dividing line between the two states.
Unclear state boundaries can present a host of legal problems, including property disputes, traffic enforcement confusion and other jurisdictional questions.
While officials placed markers upon completion of the initial survey almost 200 years ago, many have been lost to time.
The border project extends across Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph, Branch and Hillsdale counties. The effort to update and survey the state line with Indiana started under Public Act 81 of 2022.
In October, a bill passed the Michigan Senate that extends the timeline for the survey project.
“The original border was last surveyed by Congress in the 1800s, prior to Michigan being recognized as a state,” Michigan Sen. Jonathan Lindsey (R-Coldwater) said last year. “Both Michigan and Indiana have been working on their respective duties to complete the survey, but unexpected issues have caused a delay in completing the work.”
“My bill simply extends the timeline to get this done and will prevent decades of work from being reset and sent back to square one,” he said.
Cass County obtained a $76,994 grant from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). The county then awarded a $70,800 contract to DLZ to conduct the survey. The state of Indiana does not participate in the program or provide funding.
The project is expected to take three years.
