OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY QENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
~norablo ii. 6. Umson, Jr.
COUAtJ iittofA@~, h&QrtOA COfkAtr, /
*harton, Texar
iiear idr. iUAMAI
request r0r 3c opinion
zre now engAged
Hirer through
aer in thlr county, who refuses to
ter his land ror thlr purpose. .;
ago these Engineers awe&red b&ore the
rs Court of this County, *nd requested
that the County ioroe a right of way throu&h thla
property ror the >ur?ose or thle euroer. The levee
is to be constructed b; tho Federal Governsent, 98
outhorlzed under an rob of Congrem, but the necea-
rary hAe, rights4*Way, daaage6, and maintemnce8
will htre to be turailhed by 8oae local agenoy a6
yet undeteraioed.
fioAurible 3. 4. &neJA, Jr., Q.EO 2
“The CoamlreIonere Court requerted rroo m,
a8 County rttorney, aa opIolo~ a8 to w'letht?r or not
the Court had euthority to roroe 8 lsndouner to great
the deelred peraiseion, arrd I adrleed t&m that In n?
opiAloa it aie not, aI I Was unable to r indlAy ltatute
luthorldng the Court to pa88 o r lnroroo eny mler or
thle ohereoter. The only other wey', I lee that It
oould be bono by the County, Would bo by !aeaAI of Oon-
bomnatlon wit, rhloh would raquin the lxpeAeituro or
runde 0r the count7, ror whIoh I 08s riAe DO euthorize-
tiOA ill law.
*The ComaIeeIonere Court hae reaueetsd that I
aek you the ~ollowIAg queotionr io ooinictlon with the
aatterr
“‘(11 What agenoy hle authority to tome
8Atrl OAtO grivdt8 lande to lurvey
a c rl d
rplorr ror river Letee Conetr JO-
tion-?
“‘(8) tihet legal eet up I8 neceeeary ror
Wharton County to purohaee right8 or
vey, alter brldgee, pay e-gee, end
malnteln luch levee when erect&T*
'IA OOAll8OtiOA with the rir8t queetlon, the only
etatutory aut&rItJ whioh I hive been able to fIl:d le
OOAta%.AOd ia Art. 7973, of the kerierd Statutee, whioh
give8 to the State Beolaznetloa &ngIneer authority to
make en ordor authorizing en en&seer to enter upon
prlrate property in OOAAOCtiOAwith love0 DIetrlote.
It la poeeiblo that thle prooeeurr could be u8ee by
tha Amy Lngineore. kleo ln aonneotioo with thle fitat
queetlon you are adtired that a Con8enatIoA aAd Reolama-
tloa Dietrlot oompueed oi KImton County wee created
iA leer, and bOAd8 leeued r0r the purpoer 0r *opening
the Colorado River, the OOA8trttOtiOA Of e Aew ohannel
thereror where nroeseary, the building 0r leteee,
drainego oaAel8, and other 1 provomAt where Aeoee-
larf, and the MintOAaime thereoi,*. Thlr Distriot
iio~or~ble Y. 2, h:uneon, Jr., plce 3
le et111 In lxletonoe end her unexpended rUAd8 on
hAe, UAer0uLe probably a0 IA a poeition to condemn
l right 0r *of throuuh property ror thle purwes,
protidlng It8 00~188100er8 ear tit to a0 80.
“In oonneotlon with the eeoone queetlon, I 40
not belletr that Uarton County 00uie undertake to
d0 thle work out 0r any 0r lte regular rUAe8 IA rlsw
or the terme or Seo. 59 or .Gtlole 19 or our Stat0
Conetitutlon, and the opinion or the Suprear Court
ln fiarrlr County ri00e Control Dletrlot ve. Ennn,
attorney General, 140 8, yi. (24) 1098. It appear8
to ae that the only way the County could undertake
the project would ba to vote boner under the term8
fr,C$aer Six, Art. 803-822 or the Rerleed ;;tatutee.
tie ~111 rertrlot the eoope of your queetione to the
“a66 nc ia 8’ and “legal *et-up*,* l;aolfloally mntloneb in your
letter, le,ror the la k eof brevity and rot the purpose8 of thle
opinion, we consleer eo broader reeearoh necereary.
Ho hlrre oarefully OOnsldera4 the Harrte County Flood
Control Dletrict v. Mann ease rrlerred to by YOU, 0Ae we agree
with your ooatrntlon that the regular oounty rune8 0r Wharton
County ooule not be ueed to do the thlnge about whloh you Ia-
qulrr .
&waver, ae pointed out by you, Chapter 6 of Title
~2, Vernoa’e motatad Civil iitatutae, (arta. 603-822) providse
ror tha Ieeuance 0r bond8 by a oounty oparating uwler tb4 protl-
eione of ouch ohaptsr ror thr purpose, among othere, of owning
ane oonatruotln& levee8 and acquiring the neoeeeary rl hte-or-
way by purohseo or by oondemnation. Thlr chapter apyl f ee to
any county that nay have been rrlieved from the paymeat of t>xee
ror a torei 0r year8 by ;rot 0r the Leg!eleturr UAe8r an4 by rlr-
tue 0r the provielone 0r 3ection 10, Artiolo 8 0r the Itot
Const 1tut1on.
Wharton County together with e part or Metagorda
County, wae lo relieved rror euoh payment or tax.8 ror a period
of twenty-tire yeare br the oreation wlthln luoh oountiee of
Conernutlon an4 iieolamation Dletriote, and the tinely totin&
or bond 1eeua8, under thm prorlelone 0r an *ot paeeod by tho
38th Leglelaturm at It8 iieoond Calla ~eeelon, the raid ;,ot
b.iile ChQter 48, 1d2, 103,
&ge8 104 and 105, General bra of
tha citist.0 of Texua, pa saed by the 38th Leg1812ture, at lt8 First,
j.oond and Thlrd Called Seaalona.
The next Sbora mSntiont6 AOt SO releasing suoh tar.8
b.Oe;nO Sfractiva as S law ninety days efter the adjournment of tha
aeon6 Called Session or tha 30th Legialsturr on tha 15th day of
gay, A. D. 1923.
Senate Bill kilo. 867, Chapter 128, General Lawa of Ttxaa,
gaaaed at the Regular Session of the 38th Leglalaturr, whloh la oar-
ried in Vernon’s Annot~tod Civil Statutes as Art:olta 803-022, bt-
cme lfftctlve as a law ninety days after the adjournment of tha
gegular Searalon of such Ltglslatura on the 14th day of Caroh, A.
D. 1925.
Therefore, at tha time said ArtiOltS 8051822, Vernon*8
anotated Clvll jtntutea, becaae l freotira, Wharton County had not
yet bttn rtlltvtb iron the pay!nent OS its taxes, and did not come
within the terns of the retrorptctlvo provlalona of said Article
822, which mdt said &tlclta 803-822 applloabla only to euoh coun-
tlea aa may hare been relieved iroa the payment of taxua, etc.
In view ol thr above, Wharton County dots not ooma with-
in the terma of Chapter 6, Title 22, Vernon’s Annotated Clrll Statutes.
tit find that the ;Lharton County Conaerv:Ition and Rcclanq-
tion District So. 1, composed of Ghdrton County, was formed and created
urider the authority of H. B. No. 26, Chap. 25 of the Gentrel Laws of
the Fourth Called Jtaelon of the 35th Leg., 1918, pages 40-43. In
1925, the 39th Leglalaturr enaoted Ii. 8. No, 372, Chap. 21 (pp. 50-
81, Gen. Lawa of Texas, 39th Leg., 1925) which provided in Sec. 68
(Art. 8040, V.A.C.S.) 68 followa:
vhia :iot la intended to taka plaoe of all auoh
statutea repealed hereby. All lovea lm?roramont dla-
trlcta thet hava been organlrtd under the provisions
of Chapters g or 44, of the tinera Laws of tnt Fourth
Callad Session oi the Thirty-ilfth Leglalature, or that
have availed tha;,selvea of the provlalona of auc h Chap-
tars, shall be governed by the provlalona of this tat,
and the plan OS toxatlon therein provided for shall
not be affeoted or changed by thle Aot; provided, how-
ever, that any such districts which have not canpleted
any lmprovtmenta begun under the prorlalona of any for-
mer law shall be governad in the lasuanoe of bonds and
tha oomplttlon OS luoh improvementa by the provleiona
of the act or Aota under which thry wtra ortatad; * l lr
(Underscoring oura)
Thereby fitiolea 7972-8042, Vernon’s Annotated Civil Statutea,
were made to apply to auoh district to t& extent ahown above,
~rtiolr 7981, Varaoa’a ~OtatSd Civil Statutaa, in
part, protldaa as tollowr8
“The rl&t o? lmlnmt dOfadE la hrrrby ox-
preasly ooniarrad upon all diatrlota to enable them
to aoqulra tba fro simple tltla, l23ar;unt or right-
of-way to, over, and throueh eny and all lands, watrr,
or lunda under water, private or pub110 (rxoept lend
and property uatd for crmrtery purposea), wlthln,
bmdarlng upon, adjaornt or oppoalta to auoh dlStrlot8,
necaaaary for saking, eon-?tructlng end maintainin& all
ltrera and othsr lmprova~enta ?or the lmprovtment ot
a river or rivers, creek or orttka, o r ltrtama within
or bordtrl$g,u~n such dirtrlct to roront overrlowa
thereor. ” (Vndaraoorlng ours P
Artlclo 790i3, Vernon~a motatad Clril Statutes,
provides, as follows:
“The 618trlOt auvervlsora of any dlrtrlot are
hereby empowered to acquire t6 neoeaaarY rlaht of way
rot ~11 levees and other neoedaary LnProrementa oon-
tezpl.attd by thla riot, by gift, 0% oo~donnatlon pro-
ceedings; and they ay by the aemt methods aopulre
any ltrta or other lnprovementr alrEady Conatruoted.n
(Underscoring ours)
i4rtlola 7983, Vornon’a isnotated Civil Stetu~ea,
prorlata as iollowa:
a la tr iofor
t the purpoaa o f lxamlnlng maa with ret-
ertnce to the looatlon of levees, dralnaga ditohea
and all other kinds of lmproveaanta to be Oofltructed
for or within ruoh dlStrlCt, and ior any other lawful
purpoao connaotad with tlk lr plan of reola3Pation.
whether herein enumerated or not .” (Uodrraoorlng ours)
HonorJble Y. j. Munson, Jr., p:;gt 6
Article 7986, Vernon’s Annotsted Clvll Statutea,
provides es follows:
*Levee fmprovt~tnt districta shall have au-
olntl with each other, with oltlea
r$ri%::e ot tr pollticul aubdlvirlona of the
Stuta, with other states, and with the Oovtnment
of the United ;itatta in the performanct mo the
things permitted by this Act; auoh Joint aota to be
done upon such terms as may be agreed upon by their
auptrviaora, subject to the approval of the State
Rtola3latlon Engineer.” (Underscoring ours)
On page 5 of your enclosure entitled *Letter from the
dtorttary of War, transmitting a letter from the Chief of Engi-
neers, United States Army, etc.,” the following Is shown over
the naae of J. L. Schlep, idajor General, Chief of hnginttrs:
"1 rtcomend oonstruction of levees and
related worka for the protection of the towna
of LaGrange and Colunbua and of a continuous
levee system on each aide of the channel below
Eagle La&e, including a channel cut-off at the
town of Wharton, substantially aa outlined In
the report of the district engineer, at en
estimated first coat to the United State of
)6,500,000; subject to the oondltlona that
rtaponaible local interesta give aeaurancea
aatlsfactory to the Secretary of War that fix
will provide, without coat to the Unite& Sta(ltea,
all lends. oaaesenta. and rights-of-way ntoeaear~
for the construction of the proJecta. beer the ex-
pence of required alteration to txlstlng bridges,
hold and save the United &ate8 tree from claizui
tar danegee due to the construction work. and
maintain end operate all the works after OOmPle-
tion: including the two new bridcte aoroas the
cut-off at Wharton. in accordance withttion
prescribed by the Secretory 0s bar.” (Underscoring
ours)
HOnOrdb~O i. .,. i.U.:a~.‘LL, :r., &I.,;. 7
,ig SSIUIMItlut the lbova prupoaal or roaorxmdntion
forma the baai ai thr problrn prraanttrb t0 the 00dSaf00era’
g0urt or your oounty Oy tha United date8 dm.y !h8ln~r~a, 08
out1inod in
query. There oondltiana,
your ii inofatrd upon by
(ha Unltod Stata (iOYerMd?it, complfoutm your queattooa to auoh
. ds@o. thst thsy aanaot
be anaward ~eoifiCal1y ad Ostegori- l
@ally by thl8 4epurt:;iOntwithout OODlQletamud aXQllOit iaiorsa-
tlon aa to aaoh atrp oontaapl~~tadby the “roaponalblr looal
lnteraata,’ or agency corccr2d, and the Caltod ~‘afoa Corcrn-
mont.
ao do ray t&t aald i.h:rrton County Coaaorv~tion and
koolui7i;ltlon Diatrfct No. 1, itself through itr namd oftloera
and omQ10ysoa aa authorlaad -01. 7b83, aupra, can for00
o ntr yonto pr!reto hnA8 to lu r r e a y:ld lxploro for r iveItmoo
oonatruction, but it oannot doLe@to t.--la authority to tho
;;;J;taSt>taa krmy Ecglnsera or asiyonaalso not aalcod in g*lA
l
‘*afurthor advlso th:;it eald Dlatrlct la fully quall-
fled a3d upowered to acprrlro the nesesacry la nds,lswemta a nd
rlghta-of-way, for all lsvrra rsA otht:r nrcoeaary lmprove~enta,
~8 contsrcpl:,ted by :.rtlclca 7Wl s::d 7S8i, au;ra, xrrA tx raid
Ijlstrict nay act jointly rlth the V”ovc:rmunt of the L’nltcd “t .taa
in maklnd, constructing cd ntii~talnlog such lrvsaa and other lm-
proramnta. Howvor, in tnla reapeot, we point out that ..rticlo
7980, aupra, Aoea not aut!arlre the LMtod dztoo Gcncmso?-t to
do any ot the thl.?ca asr-;llttoAazd w~t~srlzbd by 13'1to tho a;'A
lilatrlot,but merely permlta the Dirt.rlct to eot jointly with
raid Oovarwaent upon auoh term8 aa ay be agreed upon by thrlr
(Dlatrlot) lupervlaora, lubieot to t!ie l?Qroral or the .hta
lioclaznutlon gnglnocr (tkil8lPprOvQ1 could only bm obtained 001
iron tba Co~laaionor of tho General Land Ofrlco, aa tho Offlco
of St>ta holaastlon Engineor ma abollated by the 46th Leglala-
Sure, Aota lOSO, p. 704, Art. MZlh-1, Vernon’8 xinot%ted Civil
sitatutra).
itealao polnt otit t&t taid :.rtlelw7986, lupra, la
not broad enough in its sct.ninp to lnoiudo lndollalfyl~ng raid
Government ror ohlz18 for dam@8 duo to the oonstructioa work.
YO horrrlth raz’~n to )ou the oiiOloaur08 raOalved with
your oommunioatlon.
__ i Your8 wry truly,
- n.
Itobart L. Lattlzaora,Jr.