Ausmnr na. TEXAS
May 12, 1948
Hon. C. H. Cavness Opinion No, V-569
State Auditor
Austin, Texas Re: Eligibility of eaployees
of various conservation
and +eclamatlon districts
to be members of the Bm-
ployees Retirement Sjs-
ten of Texas.
Dear Hr. Cavness:
Your request for an opinion on the above sub-
ject is as follows:
'We shall greatly appreciate your 0 ln-
ion as to whether the employees of each Psepar-
ately) of the following are eligible f6r mom-
bersbip in,the Bmplojees Retirement System of
Texas:
Bexar County Metropolitan Uater Dls-
trlct
Brazoti River Conservation and Recla-
mation District
Central Colorado Riier Authority
Coma1 County WaterRecreational Dis-
trict Ho. 1
Colorado'County Flood Control Ms-
trlct
Dallas County Flood Control District
Dallas County Park Cities Water Con-~
trol and Improvement District Ho.2
Fayette County Flood Control District
ffuadalupe-Blanc0 River Authority
Guadalupe River Authority
Gulf Water Supply District
Harris County Flood Control District
Jackson County Flood Control District
Lavaca County Flood ControL District
Lower Colorado River Authority
Lover Conch0 River Water and So11
Conservation Authority
Lower Rio Grande Flood Control Dls-
Han, C. H, Cavness, page 2 (V-569)
Leon River Flood Control District
Lower Heches Valley Authority
Nueces River Conservation and Re-
clamation Dlatrict
Panhandle Water Conservation Anth-
ority
Pease River Flood Control District
Sabine-I’ieches Conservation District
San Jacinto River Consemotion and
Reclaution.Distrlot
San Antonio River Canal a& Conser-
vancy Distrf ct
Sulpllnzi Rlvep Conservation and Re-
clamation Dlstriot
Upper Colorado River Authority
Upper kadalupe River Authorltj
Upper Red River Flood Control and
IrrigatLon District
Vslleg Conservation and Reclamation
District
Webb County Conservatkon and Recla-
mation District,
Artiole XVI, Section 59, Subdlvlsloh~ (a) and
(b), Cormstltution of Texas, provide as follows”.
“Set, 59. (a) The oonservation and
development of all of the natural resotirces
of this State, Including the omtrol, stor-
igg, preservation and dlstributlon of its
storm and flood vaters, the waters~ of Its
rivers and atream, fer irri&atlon, power
and all other useful purposes, the reclau-
tion and Irrigation of Its arid, seri-arid
and other lands needing irrigatien, the Fe-
clamatlon arid drainage of its over-Slowed
lands, and other lands needing drainage, the
conservation and development of Its forests,
vater sad hydro-electric power, the navlga-
tlon of Its Inland and coastal waters, and
the presemation and conservation of all such
natural resoumes of the State are each and
all hereby declared public right8 and’duties;
and the Legislature shall paas all such laws
as mey be appropriate thereto,
‘(b) There may be oreated within the
State of Texas, er the State may be divided
Hon. C. H. Cavness, page 3 (V-569)
Into, such number of conservation aud reola-
matlon districts as may be determined to be
essential to the accomplishment of the pur-
poses of thfs amendment to the constitution,
which districts shall be governmental agen-
cies and bodies politic and corporate with
such powers of government and with the auth-
ority to exercise such rights, privileges
and functions concerning the subject matter
of this amendment as may be conferred by law.’
Article 8194, V. C, S., reads as follows%
“Conservation and reclamation districts
may be created and organized in any manner
that water improvement, drainage, or levee
Improvement districts are authorized by the
laws of this State to be created, and