Legal Definitions - lade

The term lade is a historical word that refers to the mouth of a river. It describes the specific point where a river empties its waters into a larger body of water, such as a sea, an ocean, a lake, or another, larger river.

• Example 1: In ancient times, a burgeoning coastal town might have been strategically established at the lade of a major river. This location would have provided the inhabitants with convenient access to both freshwater resources and inland trade routes via the river, as well as maritime commerce opportunities through the sea.

  Explanation: This example illustrates lade as the critical geographical point where a river meets the sea, making it an ideal site for settlement and trade due to its dual access to land and water networks.

• Example 2: An old property deed from the 18th century might describe a land boundary as running "northward along the eastern bank of Miller's Creek until its lade into the Great Bay."

  Explanation: Here, lade functions as a precise, identifiable landmark in a legal document, marking the exact point where Miller's Creek flows into the Great Bay, thereby defining a property line.

• Example 3: During a historical ecological survey of a particular estuary, researchers might find records mentioning the unique flora and fauna thriving specifically around the various lades of the smaller streams that feed into the main estuarine system.

  Explanation: This scenario uses lade to denote the distinct ecological zones at the mouths of smaller rivers, highlighting their importance as unique habitats within a larger aquatic environment.