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 necearary hAe, rights4*Way, daaage6, and maintemnce8 will htre to be turailhed by 8oae local agenoy a6 yet undeteraioed.fioAurible 3. 4. &neJA, Jr., Q.EO2

“The CoamlreIonere Court requerted rroo m, a8Countyrttorney, aa opIolo~ a8 to w'letht?r or not the Court had euthority to roroe 8 lsndouner to great the deelred peraiseion, arrdI adrleed t&m that In n? opiAloa it aie not, aI I Wasunable to rind lAyl tatute 

### l uthorldng the Court to pa88 orl nroroo enymler or thle ohereoter. The only other wey', I l ee that It oould 

### be bono by 

### the County, Would bo by !aeaAIof Oonbomnatlon wit, rhloh would raquin the 

### l xpeAeituro or runde 0r the count7, ror whIoh I 08sriAe DOeuthorizetiOA ill law. *The ComaIeeIonere Court hae reaueetsd that I aek youthe aatterr

“‘(11

“‘(8) ~ollowIAg queotionr io ooinictlon with the

What agenoy hle authority to tome 8Atrl OAtO

### grivdt8 lande to l urvey ac rd 

### l rplorr ror river Letee Conetr JOtion-? tihet legal eet up I8 neceeeary ror Wharton County to purohaee right8 or vey, alter brldgee, pay e-gee, end malnteln l

uch levee whenerect&T* 'IA OOAll8OtiOAwith the rir8t 

### queetlon, the only etatutory aut&rItJ whioh I hive been able to fIl:d le OOAta%.AOdia 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 OOAAOCtiOA with 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 Reolamatloa Dietrlot oompueed oi KImton County wee created iA leer, and bOAd8 leeued r0r the purpoer 0r *opening the Colorado River, the OOA8trttOtiOA Of e Aewohannel thereror where nroeseary, thebuilding 0r leteee, drainego oaAel8, and other 1 provomAt where Aeoee

### l arf, 

### and the MintOAaime thereoi,*. Thlr 

### Distriotiio~or~ble Y. 2, h:uneon, Jr., plce 3

le et111 In l

xletonoe end her unexpended 

### rUAd8on 

### hAe, UAer0uLe probably 

### a0 IAa poeition to condemn l right 

### 0r *of throuuh property ror thle purwes, protidlng It8 00~188100er8 ear 

### tit to 

### a080. “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 IArlsw 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 “a66ncia8’ and “legal *et-up*,* 

### l ;aolfloally mntloneb 

### in your letter, 

### l

e,ror the lake

of brevity and rot the purpose8 of thle opinion, we consleer eo broader reeearoh necereary.

Hohlrre oarefully OOnsldera4 the Harrte County Flood Control Dletrict v. Mann ease rrlerred to by YOU, 

### 0Aewe agree with 

### your ooatrntlon 

### that the regular oounty rune8 

### 0r Wharton County ooule not be ueed to do the thlnge about whloh you Iaqulrr . &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**  protleione of ouch ohaptsr ror thr purpose, among othere, of owning ane oonatruotln& levee8 and acquiring the neoeeeary rl 

### hte-orway **by** purohseo or by oondemnation. Thlr chapter 

### f apyl 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 byrlrtue 

### 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 

### bytho 38th Leglelaturm at 

### It8 iieoond Calla ~eeelon, the raid ;,otb.iile ChQter 48, 

### &ge8 1d2, 103, 104 and 105, General bra of

tha citist.0 of Texua, pasaed by the 38th Leg1812ture, at 

### lt8 First, j.oond and Thlrd Called Seaalona.

The next Sbora mSntiont6 **AOt** SOreleasing suoh tar.8 b.Oe;nOSfractiva 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 Lawaof Ttxaa, gaaaed at the Regular Session of the 38th Leglalaturr, whloh la oarried in Vernon’s Annot~tod Civil Statutes asArt:olta 803-022, btcme l fftctlve 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 OSits 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 countlea aa mayhare been relieved iroa the payment of taxua, etc.

In view ol thr above, Wharton County dots not oomawithin the terma of Chapter 6, Title 22, Vernon’s Annotated Clrll Statutes.

tit find that the ;Lharton County Conaerv:Ition and Rcclanqtion 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. Lawaof 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 dlatrlcta 

### 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 auch Chaptars, shall be governed by the provlalona of this tat, and the plan OStoxatlon therein provided for shall not be affeoted or changed by thle Aot; provided, however, that any such districts which have not canpleted any lmprovtmenta begun under the prorlalona of any former law shall be governad in the lasuanoe of bonds and tha oomplttlon OSl uoh 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? l

mlnmt dOfadE la hrrrby oxpreasly ooniarrad upon all diatrlota to enable them to aoqulra 

### tba fro simple 

### tltla, l 23ar;unt or rightof-way to, over, and throueh eny 

## andall lands, watrr, or lunda under water, private or pub110 (rxoept lend 

## andproperty uatd for crmrtery purposea), wlthln, bmdarlng upon, adjaornt or 

### oppoalta to auoh dlStrlot8, necaaaary for saking, eon-?tructlng end maintainin& all ltrera andothsr lmprova~enta ?or the lmprovtment ot a river or 

### rivers, creek or orttka, orl trtama within or bordtrl$g,u~n such dirtrlct to P 

### roront overrlowa thereor. ” (Vndaraoorlng ours

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 oontezpl.attd bythla riot, by gift, 0%oo~donnatlon proceedings; and they ay by the aemt methods aopulre anyltrta or other lnprovementr alrEady Conatruoted.n (Underscoring ours)

i4rtlola 7983, Vornon’a isnotated Civil Stetu~ea, 

### prorlata as iollowa:

alatriot



### for the purpoaa ofl xamlnlng maa with 

### retertnce 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 

### tlklr 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:

*Leveefmprovt~tnt districta shall have aur$ri%::e olntl with each other, with oltlea

ot tr pollticul aubdlvirlona of the Stuta, with other states, and with the Oovtnment of the United ;itatta in the performanct o m the things permitted by this Act; auoh Joint aota to be done upon such terms as maybe agreed upon by their auptrviaora, subject to the approval of the State Rtola3latlon Engineer.” (Underscoring ours)

Onpage 5 of your enclosure entitled *Letter from the dtorttary of War, transmitting a letter from the Chief of Engineers, 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 Warthat 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 expence 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 OOmPletion: 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

,igSSIUIMI

tlut the l

### bova prupoaal or roaorxmdntion **forma the**  **baai ai**  **thr problrn**  prraanttrb **t0 the**  **00dSaf00era ’**  

### g0urt oryouroounty 

### Oytha United date8 

### dm.y!h8ln~r~a, 08 **out1inod in**  **your query.**  

### There oondltiana, ii inofatrd 

### upon by (haUnltod Stata **(iOYerMd?it,** complfoutmyourqueattooa to

### auoh

. ds@o. thst thsy 

### aanaot be **anaward** 

### l **~eoifiCal1y ad**  **Ostegori-** @allyby thl84epurt:;iOnt 

### without OODlQleta mudaXQllOit 

### iaiorsatlonaatoaaoh

### atrp oontaapl~~tadby the “roaponalblr looal 

### lnteraata,’ or 

### agency corccr2d, and the 

### Caltod ~‘afoa Corcrnmont.

aodo ray t&t aald i.h:rrton County Coaaorv~tion and koolui7i;ltlon Diatrfct No. 1, itself through itrnamd oftloera and omQ10ysoaaa authorlaad -01. 

### 7b83, aupra, 

### can for00 ontry onto pr!reto 

### hnA8 tol

### ur rey a: d l xploro 

### for 

### rive

Itmoo oonatruction, **but it**  **oannot doLe@to**  **t.--la authority**  to tho ;;;J;taSt>taa krmyEcglnsera orasiyona also not aalcoding*lA

l ‘*afurthoradvlso th:;it ealdDlatrlct lafully quallfleda3d

### upowered to **acprrlro** the 

### nesesacry lands, lswemta and rlghta-of-way,for all lsvrra rsAotht:rnrcoeaary lmprove~enta, ~8 contsrcpl:,ted by :.rtlclca 7Wl s::d 7S8i, au;ra, xrrAtx raid Ijlstrict 

### nayact 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,Aoeanot 

### aut!arlre the LMtod dztoo Gcncmso?-t to doanyot **the thl.?ca**  asr-;llttoA azdw~t~srlzbdby 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)** 

### l

upervlaora, 

### l **ubieot to**  **t!ie** 

### l

?Qroralor the .hta lioclaznutlon

gnglnocr (tkil8

### l

PprOvQ1couldonly bmobtained 001 

### iron tba Co~laaionor of tho GeneralLand Ofrlco, aa thoOfflco of St>ta holaastlon Engineor ma abollatedby the 46th Leglala**Sure,** 

### Aota lOSO, p. 704, Art. MZlh-1, 

### Vernon ’8 xinot%ted Civil sitatutra).itealao

### polnt otitt&t taid :.rtlelw 7986, 

### l

upra, la not broad enough in its sct.ninp to lnoiudo lndollalfyl~ng 

### raid **Government** ror **ohlz18 for**  **dam@8** duo **to the**  **oonstructioa work.** 

YOhorrrlth raz’~n to )ou the **oiiOloaur08** raOalvedwith **your oommunioatlon.** 

**- __** **i n.**  **Your8 wry**  **truly,**

ItobartL. Lattlzaora, Jr.