Case Information

*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS xoerd of mtor xngln8.n

Austin, bus

Dear Mr. Sturrook:

its tributar- for all u8oe iraept hjdrooSsotri0 power use, prior to like wet3 or the Upper coloreao Rirer Authority, esrumlng letter prooerbe wlth its developaunt for irrigation dorneetio use acoording to state weter lawn.

*In order that wo may furnish the Bureau or Reolenetlon with en opinion or tbr Lspl Department or this State, we rWpaotSnl.ly PO- queet youI' opinion .on the above qU88tiOU8.

Board of water Engineera, Page 2

"For your information, you are advised that the Lower Oolorndo River Authority has ao- quired water rights under oertain tilings made under Chapter Two, Title Sixty of the Revleed Civil Statutea of 1805, lnoludlng iilfne made by John N. Simp0011 OOYering fiiin&S Of Edgar L.

Flippen, the Colorado River Syndicate, the col- orado Rioor mwer Company, A. A. John8on c.

H. Alenander. A oertiried oopy 0r the reoord or appropriation made by Sl.mpson wa8 flled with the Board or Water lmglneers on sune 30, 1914, and included Irrigation, mlnlng, milling, menu- raoturing, power, water work8 and 8toOk raising.

*You are further advlaed that the Lower Colorado River Authority has aaquired O serle8 permite, through 8uoceaelve tran8rera, to la- pound, divert, appropriate and uee not to ex- oesd 1,391,530 eare-teat per anmm waters or the Colorado River and trlbutarie8 for the pur- poee oi power development. Thla rerl48 0r per- mlts are dated May lb, 1926, are for pcwer pur- pO8eO only, and overlap the .ch.iri0b ??11iq8 made by John N. Simpson et al, mentfoned above.

"On May 25, 1938, the Board or water ER- gineers granted the Lower Colorado River Author- ity Permits MOO. 1259, 1839-A and 1260. The ap- pllcatione for these permits are dated Wroh 7th, 1938.

*Permit No, 1259 permits the Authority to Impound, divert, appropriate and use not to ex- oeed 1,391,530 acre-feet of the ordinary and storm and rlood flow or the Colorado River end tributaries, for dome8tia and municipal ~808, water to be used in proassses designed to oon- vert matarlala 0r a 10wer order 0r talus into forme having greater ueabillty and oomtuerolal value, lrrigatloa, mining and recovery of minorala, and hydroelectric power. Thi8 permit bl(solude8 1,225,700 acre-reet per anuum ror power purpo808, heretofore granted under permit No. 954 to the Syndioate Power Company On May 15, 1926. The total amount appropriated under both prmit8 not to exaeed 1,391,530 aare-feet per aMu& Thl8 *3 Board of Water Xnglneers, p4~4 3

permit alro authorlaee th4 oon8truotion or ths Buchanan Dam.

*Permit 190. 1269-A euthorioee the Authority the Ink8 Dam and impound, divert, to OOMtrUOt end uee not to axaeed 1,391,630 eore- appropriate r44t per annum or the ordinary and storm and flood flow Or the Oolorado River tribUt4ria8 for the generation or hydroeleotrio power. l%i8 permit inoludes the 1,228,700 acre-teat or water par annum for power purpooes heretofore granta.

under permit lie. 984 to The Syndicate power Oom- pay on May 15, 19Eb. The total 4m0unt eppropri- eted Under both parmlts not to axoeed 1,391,530 eora-reat par annum.

Vartit No. 1860 authorizea the.oonstruotion Mer8hell Ford Dapr, 4nd ~rmltr the Author- to impound, divart, appropriate end ~84 not ity pr annum 0r the or- to 4x0446 1,500,OOO aore-feet dinary end etorm an& blood rlow or the Colorado Rivbr and trlbuteria8 rotor dame8tio end munloip41 rater to be 118.4 In prooaere8 designed to ~818, oonvert mat8rlal.r of a lower order value into form8 hayIn& greater wabillty enb o0mtnaroiel value, irrigation, mining md reoovery or piner41~, and hydroalaotrio power. !I%18 p4rmit inolude8 1,391,530 4ore-feat or w4ter per annum ror power purp0848, herutotora granted under parmlta Bo8.

951 and 962 to The Byndioeta Power Company on liey 16, 1986. The total amount appropriated under both parmlte not to axoeed l,WO,OOO eore-feat par an- num. th4t thi8 B04rd h48 n4Y4r “YiWl 4T4 4180 4dV184d

granted the Upper Oolorado EUY4r Authority parmlt to appropriate waters or aolorado River for any and turthsr, the said Authority ha4 never purpo86, filed an epplloation with th4 Board for 4 parmlt.

And w4 have no knorrledge of the Authority h4Ylng eoqulr4d any permit4 harbtorore granted to othera."

HOU84 Bill HO. 77, Ohapt4r 126 of the Party-Pourth Lagialatura (1935), Oanaral Laws, Regular Session, peg0 396 orafsted the Upper Ooloredo jt.kvar Authority. The general and the enumerated powers of the upper Colorado River AUth0rlty are v4ry rlaller to thora granted to th8 L0w8r Qoloredo River by the term8 of Senate Blllxo. 2, Ohaptar 9 of th4 Authority fourth oellad ea84ton, Potty-tbirtl L4glnlatura (1934), -nor41 *4 Board o? water Dngineer8, page 4

ana Spaolal Law8 Taxae, peg4 19. Tha eat oreetlng the Upp6r Authority contain8 the rollowing:

"Provided rurthar, that in creating and oonierrihg the bsneilt8 or this Aot on sali\ Dlstriot, it i8 declared a8 an aaaentlal part thereor that irrsspeotive of any existing right or rlghta or permits lscrued by the Board o?

Water Buginears O? tha State or Texas to use the water Or the Colorado River end it8 trlbu- tarlao ?or the generetlon 01 hydra-aleotrio power and whioh right8 or permit8 may be ao- quirad by th8 DlatriOtl lmpouudlng and u8a 0r the ii006 water8 or tha aolora60 Rlnr end/ or It8 trlbutarlaa ?or tha generation o? hydro- ~lactrlo power by the Dirtriot end/or shy one who may suocaad to tha right8 end privileges OOni6Prad upon it by this AOt, 8h811 be 8ubjaOt to the rights o? auy other pereon, munlalpal oor- poratlon or body politio heratorore iqouudlng or now putting for the purposa8, 8et ?orth In fmbdivie$ons to benericlal u8e any suoh water8

(l), (2) and (3) of Artlole 7471 or the R8vi8rd ~1~11 the State o? T*XW, a8 amended by Eltatutar Chapter 128 o? the Aote o? the Forty-aeaond Lagis- latura o? the Stata o? %x48, when suoh other person, municipal oorporatlon body,polltlo haa haratoiore receivad e permit for 8uoh U8a or we8 from the Board o? Water Englamr8 o? th8 State o? Teul8, or who by law ha8 heretoPore bean partittad to impound water ?or tha a?ora8eld pur- po8a8, and nothing in this Aot 8hall aver be oon- struod 80 as to 8ubjeot to oondanm8tlon by sela Dlrrtrlot or any suooesaora or by anyone who m8y to the right.8 end prlvllega8 Oon?aWad succeed upon it by this A& any water8 haretoiora iapOunda6 or to be ImpOunded within or without the Dl8trl0t o&or any law euthorlzlngweter to be impounded or under any permits heretorare granted or hara- sitar granted to a munloipal aorporetlon' or body politic or any waters haratolora impounded or par- ffiitteu to be impounded or U84d without the Dlatriot under permits heratoiora or hereeiter granted to any paroon,

depriving any person or auulclpalIty 0r tha right “Nothing In this AOt shall be construed ^[48] to impound tha waters o? tha Colorado River ana/Or ltr trlbuterle8 ior domertlc end/or munlolp41 puri poses, nor or repealing any law granting suoh rights to pereons end munlclpalltf48~. *5 of Riter Znglncers, page S

pmrd It is now dsolcired to be the

“&SO. 8-a.

pub1l.c polioy of this Otate that any and all.

rights of the Dietrict hereby oreated to im- pound and/or use and/or me11 the water8 of the a d its trfbutarire for the geen- Colorado River oration of hyero-eleatrlo power shall be eub- ordinate and inferior to the rights oi olties towne situated within the watershed of the Colorado River and its tributerise to build dams and Irr.Dound flood water8 for munloipal pur- poses; and likewise the rights of the eaid Dle- trict hereby oreeted, to impound and/or use and/or se13 sale waters for the generation of hydro- eleotrio power, shall be subordinate and ln- terior to the rights of any oftiren of Texas, or bodies polltio, to build d8UIS and impound the flood waters within the watershed Colorado River an4 its tributaries for domestio purpaaes and ior the purposes of lrrlgation, and the title to any and all. rights, properties, liaons~s, franohises, and/or permits aoquired, or to be acquired, by th,e Upper Colorado River Authority, shall k and beoome subject to the liaftatlons imposed by this geotion.*

senate Bill: No. 8, passed at the 4th Ualled Session, CSrd Legielaturd, (1934) oreatfng the Lower Colorsdo River Author- ity oontainlr eubotantially if not identioally the same language as that immediately &ova quoted from H. B. 100. 77, Uth Legls- lature, oreating the Upper Colorado River Authority.

~rtiole 7471 of the Rerlwd blvll Statutea, a part of the title *Waters* deolaree the lollowing ozder of priorities with respect to usea of Dublio waters, to-wit:

l# Domestic and municipal u84s, lnoludlng water for auetalnlng human life and the life of domestio animala.

8. Water to be used in proOesae8 designed to oonvert material8 of a lower order value into forma having greater usable and oommerolal value and to lnolude water neoeeeary for the de- velopment of electrio power by means other than Fydro-eleotrio.

3. Irrigation.

4. Elning and reoover o? minerals.

S. Hydr&electrio p@ver. : *6 Board of water Enfilneere, page 6

8. Xavlgation.

7. Becretitlm and pleasure. The use ec;breced in $?uMlrialon 1 la by comoa law (Clements vs. wat- n 54tural u6e 6uyerior tc 811 other use8. and remanded up5n ichar Lana corn--pny, ,332 9. w. 665, revernd another point, 86 s. 9. 733). materor the oommon law rule, howwar, may be, the statute itself has fire6 thb priorltle8 in the Order above maed, ?urthsrziiore, the &u&era1 8tbtut.e and the Aot ornatlng the reapectivo authorltie8 hmw deolared t!m priorities.

‘Ho q~estl:m of vested rights in oon?sotlon with the mattema being 6~8ouesed 18 involved under your,sfatement of are govermental agenoier, and all faote since both Authorlilss proprietary rlghtr of either or both thenforo arm thon of the state for the um and benotlt of the publle’aud the 8tato. through the Legislature is free at all time to ohan&e itr pub- li8 polioy and to change or repeal exleting laws, l o Ion& ar ?rlvete vested rights are not disturbed thereby.

Our oonetruotfm these Aate, and a ooa#Jideration th4 principle* aiumunoed, had ue t0 001t4lu8lOn that your flrtkt qU48tiCIR 8h4ula be anewered in the afflnnative, a56 your aeooad one in the ne~rtlve.

We h&v4 not oomddereib-we do not find it aooaatmry to deold4--whether or not. under the rerrpeotiva ,ncta oreatlag Colorado River Authority 4na tha upper 00i0aa4 Riv4r the im4r it ie neaoo~:ar;* For suoh 3~enoir8 Authority as atat8 rpenoies to produre poxmAts from the State Board of Water 0ontro1, ln any event, or La other WOrd8, whether not the k48peotive Aotr oonstitute 0oPiplsce and dlreot l utho&ty tar th8 themmlves agenoise to do and ?erfom acts thsraln oo.mittsd to their jurlsdiot~ion power.

Y4ura very truly ATTORNEY OEF3AL OF .VE'ROVECDliT 2, 1940

Cl3;*n,