**OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS AUSTIN** 

HonorableC. 8. **Clark,** Chainan Stat0 **Board of**  ‘n’atsr **hglrmere** Auurtin,

Tsxar
Dear Sir! **opinion lo.**  **O-3606**

other thau arts or rtatr rs under the Annotated

wollr, othm thau annual reporta with ooverlug the **iuf6flu** 6, **y.A.Q.B.,** unbr a **ed by**  **tie** Board **pw u**  **aaib** Board **uudar the** 

rradm asJ?ii$$” 7 6 Vemoa’r Annotated C%Vi% Btatuter

d-G616. iWailed strrtdmmt frrmlclbad
***OR** or **batore the**  ilrrt **iluy of**  **-oh of**  eaoh every **person, asroolat,fion**  **o? pereons**  

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flonorable

C. S. Clark. Chairman,Page e

during any part of the preoedlngoalendaryear, owed or operatedany arterlanwell for any purpore other than that of domsstlous., shall **fur** nish, **under** oath, to the Board oi Hater **Englneercl,** upon blanks to **be** furnl4hedby the Board, a datailed **rtateaaat showLn$**  the **qumatlty** of water whlsh ha. been derived from s\loh ~411, and th. 0haraat.r of use to whloh same has been applied together with the change in level of water tabi. of aal6 rell, and if **used** tn Irrigation,the acreage and yield of eaoh orop, togetherwith suoh additional data as the Board may reqolre.*
WI are of the oplnlon that your first quertlon shouldbe l

newered ln the negative. By Its express term. thle article appllrs only to the owner or operatorof an arterlanwell. It oan **be given**  no other Interpretation.

Ye quote from 39 tex. Jut. 186-189 an follows:
Vhe maxle (the expression 14 raid to be a loglail, senalbl.and 60-d rule of ooartruetlon;

and it ha4 been frlrquently applied in the oonstraotlon of statute8as 91411 a. In the lnteroretatlon

of oth4r doaumentr. The maxlr rlgnlSler that the exp rer4

lentloa or emaeration of one peroon, thing, oonsequenoeor olarr Is tantamount to an express l

xolurlon of all othrr4. And when It la appll4abl.,afflrmatlre word0 Imply a negative a? what Is not **afflrms4,** negativewords lqlr an affIrmatlreof what is not negatlred; and a pm~lrlon llmltlnga thing to **be** done **In** a partlaular form or manner lnpllee that it mh4ll **not** be **done** oth.rwls4.a
In answer to your flrrt qu48tlon.you are rerpeotfully adtired that owners of water wells other than artesian wells are not requlrmdby Artisle **‘ 7616,**  **Vetaon ’** **r Annotated**  Civil Statutes,**to file**  annual **reports** or rtat4ments with the Board of Water Engineers.

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HonorableC. 9. Clark, Chairman,Page S

**Aatm** 1931, 42nd Legislature.Chapter 261, Seatlons 1 and 6 (codlfledas **Artlola** 646a, **Vernon*8** **Penal** Code), read as follows:

*9.0. 1. It is hereby dealared to be the policy and duty of the Taxa **State** Roard **of** Mater Engineer8to make and enforoe ntlee and regulation‘ for the aon(1enatlon, protection,prerarration and distribution of all underground,rubterrmean aud peroolatlng water8 of every kind an& naturewhateoerer situatedwithin the limits of the Stats of Texas.

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*Sea.6. The Board of Uater lihglneerr 8hall **do** all things neoessary**for** the aonsamatlon, protection,preernatlon and dtrtrIbutlon of underground, subterranean and peroolatlng

waters In this State **and** rhallmake and euforoeappropriate mleo and regulation8thsrefor**and** the speolflo enumerationof rpeoialpowerr and but148 herein 8hall not be OonetNod to deny the raid Board other powers **and** duties n8oessaryto the aarwlng out **of** the purposes of this **Aot** as **8xpreeoed** ln Sootlana 1 and 6 hereof. Failure for a p4riod of **aore** than thirty days to omrplyvith any order of raid **board** Issued ln pursuanoeof the power8 **and** dutlerherein oreated ohall 8ubjeat the par8on eo **riolatlng** said order to the penaltierenug&ted in Seotlon 6 haTeof. **(Aah** 1931, 42nd

-, p. 432, oh. 261.) Thus, It Is seen that alnas 1931, It tin 0xpraealJ bean the pollay and dutl of the State through the Boaxd of **Water** Engineersto promulgate Nle8 and regulation8ior the 

### l aon8ervatlon,

protaotion,preservation **and** dlstrlbutlon of ,~subterranean

aad peroolatlng **waters** of m (EIppha8Is

ourr) 'there That thin etatute 18 aan be no doibt.
We quote from 44 Tex. Jur. 25 **as** follows:
*In the absence **of** anjyaldenae to the oon**trary,** It may be presumedthat water obtainedby

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Baaomble C.~ 8. Clark, Chairman,**Pqe 4** 

exoavatlngthe earth Is **ordinarily** peroolatlng water."

The oamc of liourton & T.C.F.y.Co. t. East, W Tern. 147, fX%9-W. 279, ertabllrheo the aostmon

law rule of thr right of oaptum am to undergroundraters In thlt **state.** Under thle niLe even though a well drains all the **water from**  anotherwell on adjaasnt property,the owner of the **moon6** well hm@ no re0oTery; it Is "damnum 

### l brqus 1nJurIa.a See also Judklmre

1. Miller, 960 S.V. 690; Terns Co. T. (Plddlngr, 148 S.W. 1149.

Is the right of aapturr of underground**uaterm** rub Jeot to rcaronableregulationby the Statewhen In the Interest of ooncervatlon,

preservation,

etc., apoh regulationIr neaegsarr? Ye am **of** the oplalon that It Is.

**A** olear analogr to the regulationo? rlghhto in underground waters la found In the regulationof rlghte In oil and gas. The rule of **oapture** 10 equallyapplloable**to** 011 and gas flowingbeneath the **eurfaoe.** OllletteT. Wltehell et al, 214 6.x. **619;** Prairie 011 & Gas Co. at al T. X16-Kaaeatl Oil & Gas Co., I?64

B.U. 260; Texas PaCllle Coal b 011 Co. T. ComanaheDuke 011 Co., **2?4 6.U.**  **193, 296**  **6.W. 664.**  **P*terson** at al T. OnTee 011 Co. et al, ~87S.V. (2dQ) S67 66 S.Y. (86) 781; Brown et al (1. Humble 011 0 RefiningCo., is6 S.W. (6d) **966*** General Wade Oil Co. 6% al T. Iiarrlr et ux 101 S.Y. (24 109dT The spaon et al v. Coa8olId8ted 6as OtilltieaCorporation,Jo0 U.S. 66, 81 L.Ed. 610. **It** Is settledbr the drolrlonsof the **oourlof** Texas **that** the right of oapture, aa applied to oil and **ga8,** 18 eubbjeot to reasonablereg&UtIon.
Ue quote from the aaee of Paterson 

### et **al** T. Grayoe Oil Co. et xl, 67 S.Y. 6d 667 **(Af?Ined** 98 6.W. Bd 761) as follow‘:

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*Won though It aould **be** eald that prior to the adoption of the statater resting in the Railroad Commlrslonthe powers therein enumerated **and** the adoptionof Rule 40 **bg the**  eommlselon,**the** oommoalaw rule am announoed In flouston & T.C.Ry.Go. **1.**honorableC. 9. Clark, Chairun, Page 5

East, 98 Tex. 140, 81 S.W. 279, 66 L.R.A. 738, 107 Am. St. Rep. 620, 4 **Ann.** Cae. 827, would be appllGable to the productionof oil by a leaseholderto the same extent as the produotlonof vater from a well drilledwhich would exhaust the eupplyOS an adJoinIngproperty owner, yet we believe that th l naotmentof those statutseand the adoptionof Rule 40 by the RaIlroadCo~mlrelon would hare the effeot to ohange that oommon-lawrule aa applloable to the proauatlonof 011 and gae anb that the same are valid, In that thelr &feet la mwoly to protrot the right of **blfferent** lease or **tltls** holderr in the enJovmentOS thelr ooequalrights to aoquln oil from a common reaenolr.

The Suprere.Courtin the oaae of Brows et al '1. **Humble**011 L Refln¶.wOo., 83 S.W. (26) 938, had the Sollowlag tfa uyr

*Owlag **to** the peoullar oharao~terlrtioe of oil and gas, the foregoingrule of ownershipof 011 an6 pslln plaoe rhouldbe oonslderebIn oonneotlon with the law of aaptlrre. This rule gives the rlght ts **produoe** all of the oil and gas that ~111 flov out of the veil on one'8 land; and this lr a propcrrtJ right
. And It ir limited only b7 the phJmlaalpoerlbi2itrof the abjolnlaglandownerdlmlnlshlngthe oil and gas under one's land br the exerolreof the same right of oapture, The followingdeoleionedlrOUBB the lau of aaptureaa applied in this state: Stephenns

County v. #Id-Kansas 011 & (Paa Go., 113 Tax. 160, 254 S.Y. 2Q0, 29 A.L.R. 668; If.&T.C.Ry.Co. 1. Eart, 98 Tax. 146, 81 S.Y. 279, 66 **L.&A.** 738, 107 **Am.** St. Rep. 620, 4 **AM.** Car. 827; Pralrir 011 & Qar **Co.** Y. **Stats** (T'er. **Corn. App.)**  **2Sl S.U.**  1088, 1089. Both ruler are subjsotto remlrtlon under the oollaq power of a state. (!Smphasir ours) lib

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Honorable C. 9. Clark, Chairman, Page 6

You will notloe that among the authorltlee cited by the court appears the Fast aase whlah 18 the prlnolpal case defining **v&tar** rights In thle State In thin conneotlon.

Upon the bnhlo of the authorltles heretofore olted, It ie the opinion of this department that the Ttate nay lmpose reauonable regulations for the prerervatlon and conservation of underground, subterranean, and peroolatlng water8 within this State.

**In** anewer to your uecond question, therefore, you are respectfully advl*e& that under Aote 1931, 42nd Leglnlature, Chapter 261, the Soar& of Water Engineers rnw raqulre of ovnercr of uater vella, other than artesian, annual reports covering the same information requlre4 by Article 7615, **V.A.C.S.,** of owner8 of arteelan wells, If In the exercise of sound disoretlon the Board deteralnee that nuch report6 are ensentlal for the *aonservatlon, protection, precervatlon an8 bietrlbutlon* of the underground, eubterranean, and percolating watsre of this State. Very truly **your8** ATTORNEY

G!ZXER4LOF TEXAS

Jamer P. Hart Assletant