Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF l-HE AITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN F-“=- _ HmorableC.S.Cl6rk,ChalxW&
State BoaHI oi I&item Bqlneem
Austin, 'i'exaa
DeaF sat
Ott Nb;cunry 21, 1
in rttrrpavte to the followln
? seation 6 OS A&- mAe of FexM.” youF Feqttest in ow opmal fo. O-PO5
ova-, upat oaref'ul reoamlAeratl<n ve that OUF asflFA8t1ve almrer to 7615, Verncm*a AnnotateA Civil Statutes, *2 gcmx'ableC.S.CZrrk, ChaiZ'=an,Page2
"On 01 before the first day OS Marah of each year, every pePem, aosooiatim of persQDI8, corporatiau, water lmprovemnt or lrrigatlan district who, during my part of the pretxedfns ualendar year, ovned OF operated any aWmtlatt veil for any purpow other than that of Aomertiz use, sball f+urnlsh, \rrAer oath, to the Board of Water Bqlnoel?a, upon blanka to be furnished by the Board, a Aetalled statementshwlng the quantity of vatep which has been derived from such well, and the aharaater OS u6e to whioh 6ame ha8 been appUeA, togetbervithtthr uhange b lW81 Or If&l? UbiO Of 8ad VO& urd if used ln irrlgatlon, the aareage and field of saohcrop, t~et~awlthrruahrddltlm~ data as the Board msy requln."
Artlule 8h&, Veruat’8 Annotated P-1 QoAe, reads a8 follwst
%3eat1at 1. It 1s heu~bf Aeulmd to be the @lay ettd duty of the Texan State BoarA Of w8t.F -0OM t0 m ti WS&l’OS Z’Uhll urd regulrtiana for the aatmommtlon, pmteot1m, preservatlm and diatributlon of all umAea?ground, Subt-OW mid ~rC3ObtQtg of l Qew V&era kind and nature m1tuat.A vlthla the vhataoevmr llttllta of the state of TexM.
"se0t1oll 2. Every vater roll Ar~lleA, dug, or excavated in We Statevhlahemmmtera salt vater OF water 0-w mlaeral or other ttub8tanc.a lllJurlou8 to lmgotat1aI OF agrlail- tura #hall bo by the euno~ of ulA wall rooumly plugged or meA, so that the ult ateE or otheovater oantalnlngmineralo~ othw subrtari- 069 lnjurlou4.t to vagetatlm cap l grloultwa eball be oonfined to the strrta in whlbh found, and said casing or plwg shall be Aam ln suoh 8uzmir a8 to effectively prevcaxt sald salt vater or voter cootainlng minelur or other substmwe8 lnjurloua to vegetation or agrir3ultxire m ea- csaplng trOa the fttt?ata in which fomd into any othes vater beax-lng strata or onto the suvfaoe oithe ghou1d.
Honoreble C. 9. Oluk, Chainma, Page 3
"Section 9. All the iongoing dectloma am declared to bs e ually applloable to wells hems- tofore dHl.leA, B ug or excavated, and rells hem- aftei~ to be drilled, dug or exsavated.
"sectian 4. The Board of Water mtganwrs ehallsWerule8 sadregulatlars Sartheeffee- tlv~ enforcement of the foregoing f5ectlaa8, sad shall efiialmtly ellrorce saae.
"3ectlon 5. If any orike* of any wall desurlbed in any of the foregoing Ssotlats shall Par a period 01 thirty days fall or refuse to securely and p~operlg plug, case or cap the sam after having boat ordered to do so by the Board of Uater Xaglnee~s, he shall be deomsA guilty of a a&sAtussanor snd shall be subject to a fine ot not less than Ten ($10.00 Dollar8 nor more fihsa Five liutaAreA (4500.00 1 Ik Zoe for e8oh and l vuy Aa that ho ahall. f'ai m refuse to plug, sase 1
or sap said roll after the expiration o? tke tirw above stated, and each day that said ovnev so f'alle or refuses to plug, ease or sap said ve12 shallbe aonsiAereda separate offense.
"seotitxt 6. The Board or water lktgl2leMs shall do all tMngs neoeasary for the uawitm- tlaa, protect&an, preservatlca aA distrlbutlen ot underground, subterM?asrHr MA peroolatlag vaters in thLs Btats and shall abs and szUoroo apwopriate rules and regulrtiam tZhemtor and the spealslc etlu,smPat1al of speolal pwws k&d duties berein shall not be oonstrwd to w the raid BoarA other parers ad duties neoes- es o? this nary to the mrrylng out of the p &t as exprsssed ln Ssotlawi 1 and hemof. T
Failure for a psrl.od of niors than thirty days to acuply vith any order of said Board iosusd in pursuance of ths powers and Autlea her&n created shall subject the pamem SO vlolatiag said order to the penalties aawmrated in 8eo- t1lA 5 horeoi.~
I .
,p
Ramvable 0. 8. Glark, Gbalrmm .mb
Aa lnspestlao of Chapter 1 Title 1.28, Ven~a~~s StotUtSS, GiVil ShOVS that AFti 7615 18 WrSl~ [8] PStFt of aoxqmbamlvs leglslaticm saas%A to govuln the taking of vater frcim artesian ~~118. In support of its authority to ~ks the requirement stmt3.med In tho seaomi qwstlao the Board of Uater Eaglneers vould have to stsnd upcm the , rule aMnP paver oanferred by salA Artlclo 8k8a, waidul
by say other statutory lav.
Rxuept as to the pl or eaalttg of veils vhfoh prodwevater conta3nlngmlne other substMoes lttjur- lous to vegetatlcm QC agriculture, Artlale 858a establishes by wbloh the Board of ItWev Ehg&mer; no prlmsry 5tada~ds 1s to be guided. Seotlma 1, 4 and 6 of sa%A Artlale 85&, aat bo taken cmly as general Aet3laraticas of publfo pollo~, 0th~ thsn to authorire the making of orders, rules and m- gulat1otltJ look3ngCOthe enforoemeiltorSeotlcm2. The la- forrrt$aamqulmAtobe oonta&aedlnastatemntumplyZng vlth Artlals 7615 quite olearly would not be of asristanoo to the Board vltb ns at to its duties in commatim vlth h0tm 2 or hem0 E 8a. Buoh statsamts vouldbe of valw to the Board aily in looking to a diffemmt purpose than to require oompllsnoe vftb Seotlaa 2 of said Artlole 848a. St la true t&t the leglslatlve bodJ may glvo auth~l- s&tlat to seleoted lastrumatalit~en or adatlalotratlve boAlea *to fill up the Aetpils' (Gfrief Srtatlo J&r&all in Uaymsa vs. southard, lo whoat 1, 6 1. EA. 2531, after the privr~ stat- AsbrAs hrve beim set. !%Ut, W&P t&6 ditiSi.0 Of v PW- vlsla~, Artiole 2, of our Gmstitutloar the legislatw emnot delegate8 its parer to mke the i# Itself. Rallmad Gatwlsslm vs. H. & T.G. 8. Go. 38 S.Y. 750 0.0. d; 8. ?. Ry. Qo. vs. State, 120 9. U. d8, at p. 1Odl Faaasm Refg. co. vs. BUM, 293 u. 8. 388, rg L. lbd. 446; ~~~oabs tn. Ual.l& Gowty, 136 Y. (2d) 975; Brom TS. Bmble Gil & Refg. Go., 83 S.W. 7 id) 935, at 940-941. Pronthe opla- laa of the Supreme Gourtinthe Eli t olted ease re quotet
"Ihtheabsaos ofavell-def&~A 8tsnAard or rule Sn the statutes de-the publlo pollay of the state with respeot to the nlneml interest, the Railroad Qomlsslon would bs vlth- out authority to pmtmtlgate &lea, regulatit.ms, or orders rel.atlng to the pratsation of 03.1 and *a= The pover to pass ZIvs msts vith the Lsg- t lslatum, MA that pma ssn%%ot be dolegateA to
sow c~ssleu or other trtbunal.* *5 Baaoruble C. 9. Clark, Chalnsm, Page 5
upon further ccnslderatlon of the above prlnol 18s ve do not belleve that Seotiona 1, 4 and 6, of Article 8&h. can be given the effect of authorizing the Bomd of Water to require reports like those mentioned ln Article lhginee~s 7615 to be filed by the ovners or opemtors of vater vells vhlah are not arteelau. We, therefore, wlthdrav our pre- vlow anaver to your aeoond question md now answer the sasm in the negative.
Yours very truly ATTOR%RY Ql0BRAL OF TEXAS James P. Eapfi Assistant BY
W8tej