Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

: Oi=l=ICE OF TIhE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Xonorsbl~ John i’:.. Yritohett, Pale 2 .. . ‘. : Doyd, 116 Tsx. 02, 2S6 SIC':45S; Conferonco opinion 785; t,Tott~v. to Ucn. Si,11.Gravoo, dntcd Seztmber 10, 1914; Artialo 7467, _ : ?I.- c. 6, .:; khc proviso cls,uso03 Scotion 16 of the l%&act (Acts 19:17,35th Leg,, R. S,, Ch. OQ, H, R, 257) readn as f 011oaY0 : " ,providod,however, that nothing In this soo-tl~fi & in this Act ahnll affect or rostriot th8 right of any p?rson ox- poroono, OWAing hin%S in Chi.6Stoto to con3tmct cn his Gm proL;ertgany da or recorvoir which wul.% tipound or oontain 10s~ than flvc hund?e% acre-feet bf lrnter.lt In an opinion d&3% Au.pst 25* 1917 (Conftwcme Opinion !W. lS12), HonorablcjG. B. S~eilloyheld l&t the ahove CjnGtCd clause rcn-elygives to u parson owzin~ Ian& the right to comtruot such due oy rescrvolrwithout submitti32 his plans to t&c BGtZd oZ'Ftitc~"Lnsinoorn for approval and tht-tttha olouso does not &.re such person the right to use, vithpiitpmilt, the nator ixpoundod by such im or reservoir or to in);oundund hold in such reservoir c;utcrasedad by witor ~uso:-s,ka~ixq a prior ri@t. mm This 02it;ion ugain adopted imd.s>provodon ILayS, 1940 by the promnt Attmmoy Gonerol of Ikmr,. In 1925 the IAginlnturtic!!cndedtho 1917 aot (Auts' 1925, 59th LOS,, ,R.S., Ch. 135, S. B. 3491. Section 16 of the 1917 act ms amnded and tho yrovisotrssomtttod from tho amndmxt, Section 5 of ths amndutory tct rseds t-6 follov?s: . "SCO. 5. Any one my cbktruot on his oxn proparty a.dnn and rcsorvoir to iwgound or contain not,to cxcood t&o kundrc~dnnd fifty scro feet of Mter without the nccesaity of socurinG a ;-erz?it TIiFxZfor.~* (Ezphasl.3supplied) 3, addressedto the km-% of Tn our Opinion ITo.O-l.99 S.kt~r iZni:lncors,no held t!latSection 5, codified by Vsrhr;n CG i\rtiOl.(? CSGOR, v.nr bccauno of the irrecon- unconstitutidnzL 0ilcbl.caotilict b~twen the caRtj.onof the wzt, ::hiohpro- vided thet one my comtruct "12iicmor r0aervoi~~to contain could not effect the rwsdl of the m~rovi50of Seotion ie of 1917 act, and also thot the smikrzcnt.of Scotion the : 18 did not repeal ths prov3.30. . - In 1941 the 47th Logfsl.etura passed Eouco-??$llEo. 69. So&ion 1 of the b&U is qu0ted.w fol1om~: . %Scction2. That Section 5, Chapter 136,.Aats . sofa the li%@IlnrsIzo.?sion of th6 Thirt:i-ninth Lc&3- . .... Iuture bo and the same ia hemby amtided so as to he??c?aftcr mod us foliosJor ?Section 5. Any one nay oonstruot on his own pr0.cort.y a’Em and reservoir to j.npour,d ox aoztain. a Aat to GxOeQd fift y (50) acre-fcot of mter for d~cmstic and I vcstoch pur~osca w!.t?loutthe nccnrM.ty s soc~ri~ a ??mlzil; ttx3rafor.”&iiph3ia suppppliai) ,. At Pirut Slcnce om cm see a satiod*diffo2enoc batweoa.this saotion cn t!m OUGhand wit? the proviso of the 1911 act and the attezpttid‘mendnest on the OthGr hand bc- sides tho roduotion In acre-feat. %lC$ UbOVO quoted B33tiOn not only covers t!lacoaatiruotionof a dnc, QE do the otinsrtwo scixiiorproviaidns,but it also spaoiflen tka use to ~vhichthe nator Ray be put. XOUSO Bill.63 s~oci.ficellg provides teat a p?rwn nay calatxuct a do=!on hin 017A property l’~iot to ezoeod fifty (50) acre-factof wster rcr dm6stLo~and livestock I?ITKXW~~ without the necessity of necuxin,;: a -emit ttwrefor.‘! . . . EJonorabloJohn \S.TMtohett, PO&3 4' -. . . But~ovan c,oxoconvincZAg thin the phrcaeolo&y ezJ- ployed'by the.Le&.elnturois the~sgecificntiouof the UOOD 1ts01s. %b *uotefrcn the Sxedley oplnlon (Couferon9o ... @pin- ion Jcor1BlE7 86 follo*.v5r ::. 9, "The provi5foA~in vCeaffon18 5ny5 nothing what- wer &out .th tdcing or uning of water, acd it would not 'bo a rcasomblo coA5truotioAof it to aoncludo tknt it WE iAttendedto give to ouch person l&e right, wIthout pm&t, to use or divertthe Vator tipouAded by tA0.da!Lor reservoir." Euob:5re Aot the ocnditloAs here+ The bill uudor ~oonoide~eticnoovcrs Aot only the constructicaOS tJ;edez~or renarvoir, but also tha uses to which tJlowater £ed my ho put. B,e ubov& quotod pmxgraph stated convexsely55 to that nince the u50 of the mtcr la covered by the the cSffeo.G “bill, it would he a'reascnccble ooristruationto aonolude that it ~5s .iAi;cndod to give the 1andowAer tho right, u~it-hout pox- mit, to use we.tcr.impounded by the dam, S%ch 5.5the construc- tion whio:h%,-e plaoo on the bill, A.9wo have horotoforementioned, it was hold in . * Opinion 1~0. O-1993 thet the proviso in Eactica 16 OS tJx?1917 aot vat8otill in force end 6SSoet. It is mnifost th.attho tams. of the 1941 5ot are at vorianoo withthose of 5uoh pr,o- vieo. It must, therofore.-o be determinedwhether suchproviso~ io rfipealed aot. w;‘o QUOtO the? fc;llOlYiA~ fl?Xl by tJm -Ititer Opinion MO. 0-1933: Vho mption of tJx31925 Act exprooses a &onoral purpo50, aa icniorited b;rthe uAd%rsOoriAf;; it n.emosSection 16 of the 1917 Aot a5 clloOS thoco amended, end 60tS out t!lo5ubjOot Eattar OS the mondxent in dotail. The cnptiou.aoao not otate ~thnt Eection 16'3.0expra5el.y ropee!cd; v&other it WQS ao intendedmust bo dotemined boS+osoyour sooojndgucetion oan be correctly ensrierod. sol+ tion 5, properly construed, oovcre-the c&me sub- jcot ma.tixr as the. proviso of section 16. ;q- parontlp, the Lo&&2turo intcnd.ad that S5otion 5 sJm~l& Cake the place of tho provQo, oAd that it olxmld repesl thnt xuch of Gcotion 16, by vi.X- tuo'OS ;;'ecticn 7$. the ro-p:nlill~ ollmm or the 1923 Act, . : ., HonorableJohn 1% Ptitohett; P&g3 5 *SeotIon 5 being void, it aonnot hevc the tho proviso. YC is 0 nullity effect of ~ro;rcnling end bee no rzoroelfeot t.)Lhn iT it,bud nevtx! bcoa ConcolidstmIlJ;lr\omzlterev. KA.rbyLUG- bp:?%: (Corn.;qp.) 237 5.X. 703 (roviol;~ 250 &\Y. 476)1 Culberson V. &hfcrd,*118 5%)~.431, :?- ~, 18 8.X. (20) sE5, sa Tl?x.Jur. 12.5;Ldwia' 3utb.e%+ lnAd.r)t.aiutory :ConstrWti6q Seo. 245~ Tarshall Y. State. 62 Crie. RG_rr117, 13s 6.W. 759; * .” It is to be noted t&t &ction 6 Is f&!&r to l&G provlocl clauo of section 16 .int;Jmtboth prod& caly for . thG oonstruotionof O.dcm 8nd sey cothillgebiut the UXI of the iiqsUn&d mterr Therefcre, ES it w’cis stated in Opiniun Xo. o-1993,.appareAtlgit was the 10&31etive iAtPAt th&t Gsotion 6 should lx&a the plGce c& the prcvieo 3ln*xe, azd t.k;at it cr!wuld rep& thtt muoh of YGctiorr16 by Firtuc of Eeotioa 7 of the LO25 aot, the repealing clausae. Ro~evcr, the~lP41 aot 1s F-O:%limited in its wording. ft provides thnt one m~apoonstruct on his pro::ertga d&m nad rcs&w?ir to impound orecontain not to cxcbw~fifiy awe-feet-- for &xtio a~_d_l_iveatookgurnoaos without the neocstjityof seourirg a per&t therefor. Not oniy Is tl;ereG reduction ia the nwbor bS GGrG-SGet, but tk-rs IS also d limftutic~ on the.usc:s$0 which the wter mey be jxt, In other wxdo, tl;e ~only'situoticm where the terms of tk? 1941 act apply 16 where iAn dem and raservofr a~ to'.jmpouOd.zot I-iore than fifty (ClO]ooro-feet of wetor and'the witGr is to be usod 021~ for dmaetio and livoetock purposes. GGcJ3tus act ropeal thG provisa Clause of Eectlon 16, or 000s It wrely limit l.t8acops @e are inclined to the latter v5.G~. There,is no prokaio~ in tho 1941 act s~aoificolly xep0nliingeny other uot or statute, nor is t!xro e general rGgco.Xin5clnc~e, licw~ovor,w%ethGr the 1941 act is considered elcre, v;ithno $rovision relating to the r6>GnJ.of fczmor lawo, OS \shetJier it itrco2sid~rec?cs t.&ing the pl~ao id Sac- tion 5 of thy 1926 (XntkXn&tioA&~0. ?I,2~~.CO. VI ~XGend, &P., 1015, 101 sj.w. !x4), so tkEt the goneral repeal- ci;cr; in8 olocso of the 1925 &ct would c~ply, thG rcti,atis ;kG 8R!!z ; that is, prior 5intut~cr; co rcpwilod to the ei;tcAtof theeconrliot 0nl.y. wddia ot cl v. 'i‘crrsll,I.01Tcxou 574, 110 S.X. 4ixJ ) Dcrry v. Etate, im 8.K. 026; Pt.ir~hillv. steto, 138 S.h. 759. . : . ..* . .. Honoxchlo J&n 8. Pritdhott, Page 6 ~IionomblcJohn 5. .Frltchett,?asc 7 .' '. . . '. '. Ylolatlon* Xf the water is wed for a &if&rent purpose, or if _' the damllppoundocore thw. fifty (50) acre-feet and lose tkaa 'fivehundred (500) sore-feet, the lendmmor car3tot.+plly USC the!public waters iq:oundcd tha;eby until he 6ccprcs e ponriitfrorc, thq ?kcrd of Xator En&mm?, If he UYCS such water l:ithoutu pernit, thm ha lo vJ.olotinSthe law, end he r,ry bo proscouted. Artiolo 75x0, Xovisod CivS1 Statcteo, nr.dAxrticlo 830, Penal Code. also ponolties could bo reoovarod unde:: Artiolas 752l.and 7522, Eevised Civil Statutes. Without passing on the F,cmMon of whothor the Le@lature could impose the duty of enforcJ.rqj thcsc articles o:lthe &tornzp General, it is suf- ficimt to stnte tlintIt hai not done so. ZoreZoro, the loaf11 prosecuti~ officers two char&d with the enforao::ont oilmm. &rticle Y, Strction21, Coustitutlonol .?oxas;~rticl.va25-32, Codo of CricrinclProcedum; J-5'i'ox.Yur. 400. yicr trust that t?&eforo~oi~ dl~cusslc~~setisfac- tor5.ly ansmz3 tho questions irrv:hichyou are intcrcet;ed. Glenn R, Lewiio AsGistant APPXVEGAUG 21, 194% ATTORNZYGXKEHAL OF 'i'E;XAS