Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN
lb. c. Y, Clerk, ChnlmuiS
Swrd of Fiator Zngineom
Austin, Texas
Dear Sir;
60 a6 to pennlt the perrdttes wlthout inorsasing tile awoluit “3. Will your ensmr to :;uestio?l MO. 2,
above ba in any mannor m0difi.d where the h&ii- tionn i lanba sou:ht to be lr2iy,oiml 8x33 in water- sheds, dlfforact fro3 the w5:eraheds co-?tainine *3 ILr. c,. 9. Clark, Chelruon - Fr.!:e 3
content6 Of the perdt itself. The Leg:elature has 6-t out no suoh requirement where the weter is to be used for other purposes.
Article 7493, Vernon*8 Annotatrd Cjtatutea, contains the followipz language:
11 , if such pereon’s proposed use fa far irriga&.&; a desorlption of the lends propoaed to be lrri&ated, end, ao near a3 zay be, the total aareage thereof" . . .
muet be included in the appllcetion.
Artlole roads In part aa iollowsr “. . . if the proposed use is for irrigation, such notice shall oanteln a general dexrlption of the looatlon and erea OS the land to be irrl- cated.*
Article 7515, preecribinlj the contents of the permits, lnoludeta tollowine, verblai;e!
” if such approprietion io ror LtrigatFon (it must c&Cain) a description 6nd statement of the ap- pro-t% area of the land be lrrigated.a (Perenthet- lcsl matter oure).
&tlole 7532 authorizes the Boerd of Water Engineers to co&leot a fee based upon the number of acres to be irzigc- teb when water is appropriated for irrieatlon purpoeee. It was legielativs intent that an appropriator
If of water for lxrlgation purpose8 ehould be free to use euoh water to lrrigut.9 any lend ho ohase, we oen oonoeivs of no that the land be &ascribed ln eaoh of reason far requiri these enaotments. 2 f it waa Intended that the appropriator oould ignore the fact that a partloular tract of land wae described in his permit, It muet be assu.med,that the Leeisle- ture has required a uaolees thing. Under well recognized rulea of etatutory construction we CC,? nnke 110 such SSSUTP- tion.
The Ytnte Of Texas wa5 e;zon~ the last the Xe-tern Etstes to find it neoeesary to regulate by statute the use of *4 li?. C. 9. Clark, Page 4
water from its riVera end Bt.reme. Lt w35 9nly netural thera- fore that it borrowed frou %naotRentR in other Crates in eottlng up a statutory nethod of BLsallng ;uith the problam.
*The Texas Accte are variously reputed to be tiodeled after the btetutes Of OreEOn, Syoain and Nebraska. (See !Xe>orte of the Attorney Cenoral, 191 -15, % page 703’ 3oe:a v. IdoKnight, 111 Tex. 82, 229 S. ‘ii. 3Olt EcKnl&t v. frrigstion COLUMNS, 207 4, 3. 599) . . . The provisiono for the adjudl- oation 0r water righta, which was tha chief innovation Act of 1917, soens directly copied r’rcm that rollf io psiwnt , the Wyoming ‘Sstatute; acd itn cloa:st perelle P , the Kebrasks T, t. 2. 86,99. Aot.”
He rind no Tcxoa CSPQV i.ecling with the si#t ar en appropriator water for irrir,atio3 pa-poses to use the mter oh lands other then those Gescribed in his pertit. in ayoting end Nobreskn, the two st.atbt The rule from
I whioh our laws relating to the adjudication of watsr rights ape derived, i8, apparently, that the appropriator Is rc- strictad to thr lands desorlb%d in his petit,
In the 0868 of L,inool.n Land Co. v. Da~fa, 27 T. Su>p. 1006, the United States District Court for the Xatrlot oi Y;yoming, UBy 1, 1939, salal
wAgain, Qesenaont claims . . . tho right to Irrigate 42 acme 00 lam3 in Seotion 33 Fhioh he has roolaimed and purports over a period of pars to have irri,pted throu& a diver&on iron plein- iYere euoh ~oroof euotalned tiff’e ditoh. as to the land in seotion )J it-would be of no oonaa- buenoe to the defmdent in this prooeedina. for th% reoson that no land in aPotion 33 ws8 ijmATiEtd in the arlainel approoriation. The deiendont would have no ripht to LrriS:at% land ior rrhlch. ho eporoprietlon bud orev1ouel.y be’?n taken out, end c%rtaialg the clrlntiil uould have ho rlcht 08 owner of the permit to mant the us% of water for Lends other thar those to whioh the e~propriction a ~olied . The water b8lOq;s ths i3teta and only use of it is granted to M appropriator in the mmher ahd :-;cthod npe~lTlcally peraittod.” (Uhderoooring 0~s).
=* c, 3. Clark, Po::e 5
In the oaae of i;arnar’e Ir:i6atfon Dist. v. i-rank, 100 ti. W. 286, the Supreme Court of Hebra3ke said:
*There are tmo cxflictir16 ideoo up011 which the lam of the several state8 end tcrritorlee relating to the use o;,;ateJ a for the purposes irrii;atlon ure based. ‘. is tklt any pernon or indlvlduel my appropriate surplus waters whioh have not therefororc been a:.,propriated, end my ur.,e the 3me to 1rrlCete cuch lands aa he my mm fit. ‘ihic ~3 the basis or our irrigation lam in this s;fite until the passa@ of the bot of 1695 (Lnws 1695, p. 244 c. 59). This systera tends to breed raonopolles. end Lo lecd to Qnta,:onlsms, 6nd to strife and dissension. wince tte land in arid regions ie useless for the purp6se of agriculture 1~1338 water i3 applied to it, this dootrihe makes :he landowner dependont upon the owner of the water and leads to mom exaction8 and abum6. The rkht. doctrine,of prfvate &nsrehlp of water for irzinai%n purposee. dioaseool ted from the land to whloh it i3 be ap~liod hQa been proved by low ex- de&wed to be dotrimntal to the puSlio xolfcre. pcrianca It has proved productive of endless controversies apd abuses, end has i~,lven rim to interminable lcti- Cation, The other doctrine is that the r5&ht to the uoe of water ehould never be 3eDarated fro3 the land to whloh,lt ia to be applied. *Uhore thio dootrine, pravails, canala and ditches bsoorns, like rallroode, great semi public utflities, mans of oohvsyenae or a publio oomodity, their owners entitled ,to edatjuate ooqehsatlon for st~vicee rendered, but havine no Report on Irrl- roperty distributed.’ ovmerehlp In gatlon P in Cal forhia, F. 6. n6. Dept. 1901. It la umeoeaaary to set forth here the advahta&as of this’ idea. By the a&option of the irrigation lam or 1695, vihfoh was nod&led upon the byomin6 law, thris stotb adopted the latter policy, bJ’ which the rl6ht to UBB the water eholl not be erantad FmporQta froiu the land to whioh it la to be ap>lied, and that the r&ht t0 u3a the water should attaoh to the land, and whexi t!le lend is sold, be sold wlth it; and for this rcxnon the statute le explioit in rec!uirin!: e dercrigtion of the &md to be irri.!7et~d. and the 8rmLnt tiiereof, to be Set j. ctlon 6762, Vol. 2; forth in the etplicction.
Cobb@ B Ann. :>t. 1903, provldes:‘~ *.-very peeon, *6 blr. c. 3. Clark, Pai e 6
aaaociation or oorgorstion hereafter int,nUn(; to a;.propriata any oi’ the public N&tars of the State of Hebrnska shall, Letore oo:m3nci.nS the oonatruotion, anlargament or oxtension or any diatributiug worke, of performing any work in oonnaotlon with aaid aFpivpriation, m&e an applioation to the State 3osrd for a parnit to make euah agpropriatfon. Snid application aholl Bt forth'the Z~CELG and ~OStOiffcO i3ddreES or applioent, BOUI'CC from which oeid a>proprle- tion shall be msde, tho 5muht thereor at near as my be, location of any proposed work in COII- neotion t!iere+?.th, tbo tine required for their ooapletion, mill tine to e.xbbruce t3s ::arioE. re- quired for the construotion of the ditcherr thereon, an& the time fit i+ich ror becericial the arplicstion of the u’ai,er p'urpoeeo &.a11 be irdej B5lch said tlma aim11 be limited to that raqulrod for the oompletlon of the work whez proaecutad aith diligence, the purpose for which water is to bs augpliad, md 1: for a descriation lr~i:_ntion of the land to bc irri6:etcd. sod trio olxou;lt thereof, and any adbition?il tscts nnicn nay ba required b7 the State 30~14 with . . m (Kate the nistlarlty Articlea 7/+92-7493 TiCS) (Underscoring ours). It lo providc;C br Article 7531, il. C. 3. 1925, that the Board of Zatoz An~cers "my adopt, promlgtite and sodea of proce3uz-e eind enforce suoh rule8, rs~ulatioaa ae it ney deez~ prqer for the 2izehorEe of the d:ities ticunbent upor it . . .*
Xe are advfefd in your letter that the Doard has t?93 approprihtor 0 I weter for irrlpstion unif0rd.y ruleC that purpoaas may not uac sue!: water u?on lands other than those de5cribed In his permit, end to thla end the Board requiruo a full axA oompleta descziptlon of all londa proposed to be under a permi+,. See 2~10s a&cl Zegulatlon8 of the ir,~iEatsd aoard of Wter &ngineare, paCe 15.
The conetrurtion place& u>on &tat&es by the sd&h- istratfve body che?S,:b ':ilth the duty of er.forclnC suoh Trx. Jur.235, statutes has often b-en !lcld to be controll-. sec. 125.
I3 the lL.ht or the above authoor,ities, it la oup conclusfon that you: ;'irst inquiry ahould be ens:: red affirmative, and you ert! 50 &via-d.
Mr, C, S. Clark, Face 7
Your seoood Lnquiry in701v29 tha ~~uestion of prioritlea an3 the powers of the l3osrd to smnd an oxistin(; permit to fnoluda landa other than those 3eeoribed origlncl permit. Xere s.;n n WC 3x cznfrmted~ with the fact tilat the Lc~lSlaturc ha3 not in s~?ciilc lnnp,ua~e Slzt out a dcflnito rule.
Se believe tLRt the _co;Jer cf the- !:osrd of iVoter Enf$neors to amend a permit 5.n t!‘.st zsJ!r.er in inoludek vtithin the rule-miciw yorcr of t!.e Socrd LLZ~C~ Artiole 75jl,., suyro.
It ie &pxIareJ.?.y htld that such E change ln place of use should 5s allowed if no other wa';er user is thareby 54 3. Ct. $3, 290 U. 3. 590, 78 L. Zowor Co. v. Striolclccd, Zd. 520.
Non-riperian lands ao;luirc rights water by statutory appropriation alone, and the first appropriator In time is first in rig!!t. Sic&s Q. Erillar (Cfv, App., B1 Foeo, 1912) S. ‘ii. 632.
Ke aall your attention to 0 conferenoe~oplnion ~~&h;~;T;~to~; W;;;;iE,d;ted February 10, 1921, in whioh
n answar to a sFmller inquiry: 'cpour ln<uiry . . . raises the , . . qu38tLon as to your power and nuthoritp to rrcelve*and hear at all, whetbar after notice othcr~~fae, sn application for s ohSn(le in thd usa of water from that speoitiod In the original in addition application and permit or to (I usa
to that stated in the ori&al epplioa- tion and 2azmI.t. KO such power ia expreSSly VeStad bj- law fn your ,ocrd,
n'githout dlscuarlnc the r~u:a:.ion here, howsver, we have rcochcd the o~r~ol~sl~n, ?lthouf& not ;cithout diffioulty t!zt the ezeroiss o? t?,is power by YOU 1s implied by t&e bro%& texts PX? purpOScS Of law, or ia vest-d :L you a8 zn incident to the e;;r- ~180 of the powers vested by lsn In the ;losrd. YOU have the
hold, t,k:crefox, t:rlt In our opllri~n *8 Kr. c. s. Clark, Pace 8
pOwOr t0 rOOeivC and haar cc. iij,plicstion sr” the nature st6L:L: by you, md L.-:c? c:,grogzlote action thereon.”
It we reco:mccdrA ic thnt opinion t&G :hc 3onrd of ‘Xeter Al&lleei 3 lr. oonsldcrln~ such ar- 67xnAnent, follow the prooadurs outlinod by statute i‘or ooneidsmtion of m Conf?rancs ~pir.iom, Vol. 55, p3;:e 0:l(;lnal appliaetlcn.
u9.
'::'a , therf;forc, anex6r :;our scco::A Snr~uir:: in the oSfirmtlv3,
In snancr to j-our third in;uiq, xi? quote Article 7590, 2. c. G., 1925:
wi3efore eny person, nssocictfon Of perBons, cor- pO”ction, WPLOT i!q~rovcm?n’.. OS irrl(;ot?.on district shall tnka tin;’ vm:er fro3 eny natural r;trom, v;a:e?
COur88) or :v:l:r!ruhed in this S’;ste into any othor wstorshed, auoh person, aa~ociztioc of paxims, corpozotion, mtar iqrovezmt or irzigution district shall mnko o~yllcation to the 3onrA of Secer Lngl- ncera for a pemlt so to ttie or divert such waters an4 no such permit shell be issued by the Soar4 untjl acter fulJ. touring bofors sai4 3oard as to tie richte to ba affeoted t!lcrebg, fine, such hoaring shall be held aad oritlca t>e:eoi giver at such tize and such place, Fr. such ;noEe snA xf4nceT as Lko 3oard my prc- soribe; and fxm any Aeclalor, 31’ t!ie koord an ap;ieal to. the district coUi% s:’ the comty in nap bc t&en which suoh diversion is pco~oscd to bo mado, iin the lno413 an& r:amer p?eSoribod for bther In tilis ohnptar appeals from tke dec~slor 0; the Sozrd. (Xots 1917, P* 230, Leo. el).”
;;b a0 net believe t&t this nr?.lcle WLS inten~:ed t0 deprive an a?proprihtor of eg @.orlty he mi&t hcve aC;uire4 under a pravious pemit. It rmrdy psovides for 3 ;I;ecial. t;J ba Use< evmt
honrlne in the neter 00 o;)psp:iate4 ie in a wa~erahe4 different rron thst frcxa vbich tho ;>>atez ia taken, 0: other cpproprlators ore not SO 1Oilc CC? rights
aAversely af:actsA, We b;lieve the 3oRrA has the powi .to *9 Lb. c. S. Clark, Page 9
grant the appropriator the right to UBB the water In another natalshed and upon a tract of land difftmmt rron tbnt con- t.shled in hi6 perlnlt.
Me, therefore, answer y0u.z third inquiry meative.
By the very languu~e of the statute; Article 7495 is restrioted to the ‘alteration, onlaqeaent, extonaion or addition to any ci~nal, dltoh . . .* and other sl&lar al- terations.
This Artiole rocds oe follows:
Wothing ti thie Act shall be held or oonatruod to require the filing of an applioetion or procuring; of any permit for the alteration enlargsnsnt , sxten- eion or addition to any ccnal, dtcJh or other work thet does not csntemplate, or cvill not raeult in, an inoroeeed appropriation, or the USC 0r a iarger volu~ of water, but before making any suoh alteration, en- larganent, exttmeion or ad:lition, the person aez!ocfa- tion or persons, corporation or irrlgatlon &triot desiring to mike smm, shall file with the Board of :;el;er LagFnesrs a Petalled atamxmt ard plan, for the in?mmtion of the board, of the work proposed to be dons .I
Kg, therefore, amwor your fourth lnc.uir~ la the ne&3tlvc.
t ~!?rustl~ tiiat vre have sufficiently nnsaerea your
lnguiries, me ore
Pouro v6x-y truly JvEo.~~i.Y G’;1.,7:‘,2L OF T3:WS --,