: Oi=l=ICE OF TIhE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTINXonorsbl~John i’:.. Yritohett,Pale 2 ‘.

. : . .

785; t,Tott~v.

Doyd, 116 Tsx. 02, 2S6 SIC': 45S; Conferoncoopinion to Ucn. Si,

11. Gravoo, dntcd Seztmber 10, 1914;Artialo 7467,

_ : ?I.- c. 6, .:; khc proviso cls,uso 03 Scotion 16 of the l%&act (Acts 19:17,

35th Leg,, R. S,, Ch. OQ, H, R, 257) readn as f011oaY0

:

" soo-tl~fi ,providod, however, that nothing In this & in this Act ahnll affect or rostriot th8 right of any p?rson ox- poroono,OWAing hin%S in Chi.6

Stoto to con3tmct cn his Gm proL;ertg any da or recorvoir which wul.% tipound or oontain 10s~ than flvc hund?e% acre-feetbf lrnter.lt
In an opiniond&3% Au.pst 25* 1917 (Conftwcme Opinion !W. lS12), Honorablcj G. B. S~eilloy

held l&t the ahove CjnGtCd clausercn-ely gives 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-tt tha olouso does not &.re such person the right to use, vithpiit

pmilt, the nator ixpoundodby such im or reservoir or to in);ound

und hold in such reservoirc;utcr asedad by witor ~uso:-s,ka~ixq a prior ri@t. This 02it;ion mm ugain adopted imd.s>provodon ILay S, 1940 by the promnt Attmmoy Gonerolof Ikmr,.

In 1925 the IAginlnturti c!!cnded

tho 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 propartya.dnn and rcsorvoirto iwgoundor contain not, to cxcood t&o kundrc~d nnd fifty scro feet of Mter without the nccesaityof socurinGa ;-erz?it TIiFxZfor.~*

(Ezphasl.3

supplied)
Tn our OpinionITo. O-l.99 3, addressedto the km-% of S.kt~r iZni:lncors,

no held t!lat

Section 5, codifiedby Vsrhr;n CG i\rtiOl.(?CSGOR, v.nr unconstitutidnzL bccauno of the irrecon0ilcbl.c

aotilictb~twen the caRtj.on of the wzt, ::hioh

provided thet one my comtruct "12 iicm or r0aervoi~~

to containcould not effect the rwsdl of them~rovi50 of Seotion 

### ie of the : not

- 69.

.

.

. . .
. 1917 act, and also thot the smikrzcnt.ofScotion 18 did repeal ths prov3.30.

. In 1941 the 47th Logfsl.etura passed Eouco-

??$ll Eo. So&ion 1 of the b&U is qu0ted.w fol1om~: %Scction2. That Section 5, Chapter136,. Aats sofa the li%@Ilnr

sIzo.?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

,. ?Section5. Any one nay oonstruoton his own pr0.cort.y

a’ Em and reservoirto j.npour,d ox aoztain. Aat to GxOeQd fift d~cmsticand Ia y (50) acre-fcotof mter for

vcstochpur~oscaw!.t?lout the 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 OUG hand wit? the proviso of the 1911 act and the attezpttid ‘mendnest on the OthGr hand bcsides tho roduotionIn acre-feat. %lC$ UbOVO quoted B33tiOn not only coverst!la coaatiruotion

of a dnc, QE do the otinsr two scixiior

proviaidns,

but it also spaoiflentka use to ~vhich the nator Ray be put. XOUSO Bill. 63 s~oci.ficellg

provides teat a p?rwn nay calatxucta do=! on hin 017A property l’~iot to ezoeod fifty (50) acre-factof wster rcr dm6stLo~and livestock I?ITKXW~~

without the necessityof necuxin,;: a -emit ttwrefor. ‘!

**. .** .

EJonorablo

John \S.

TMtohett, PO&3 4' -.

.

.
But~ovanc,oxo convincZAgthin the phrcaeolo&yezJployed'bythe.

Le&.elnturois the~sgecificntiou of the UOOD 1ts01s. %b *uote

frcn the Sxedleyoplnlon (Couferon9o@pinion Jcor

1BlE 7 86 follo*.v5r . . . ::. 9, "Theprovi5foA~

in vCeaffon185ny5 nothingwhatwer &out .th tdcing or uning of water, acd it would not 'bo a rcasomblo coA5truotioA of it to aoncludo tknt it WE iAttended to give to ouch person l&e right, wIthout pm&t, to use or diverttheVator tipouAded by tA0.da!L

or reservoir." Euob: 5re Aot the ocnditloAshere+ The bill uudor ~oonoide~eticn

oovcrs Aot only the constructica OS tJ;e dez~ or renarvoir,but also tha uses to which tJlo water £ed my ho put. B,e ubov& quotod pmxgraph stated convexsely55 to the cSffeo.G

that nince the u50 of themtcr la coveredby the “bill, it would he a'reascnccble ooristruation

to aonolude that it ~5s .iAi;cndod

to give the 1andowAer tho right, u~it-houtpoxmit, to use we.tcr.impounded by the dam, S%ch 5.5 the constructionwhio:h

%,-e plaoo on the bill, A.9 wo have horotofore mentioned, it was hold in . * Opinion 1~0. O-1993 thet the proviso in Eactica 16 OS tJx? 1917 aotvat8otill in force end 6SSoet. It is mnifost th.at tho tams. of the 1941 5ot are at vorianoowiththose of 5uoh pr,ovieo. It must, therofore.-o be determinedwhether suchproviso~ io rfipealed

by tJm -Ititer

aot. w;‘o QUOtO the? fc;llOlYiA~ fl?Xl Opinion MO. 0-1933:

Vho mption of tJx3 1925 Act exproosesa &onoral purpo50, aa icniorited b;r the uAd%rsOoriAf;; it n.emos

Section 16 of the 1917 Aot a5 cllo OS thoco amended,end 60tS out t!lo 5ubjOotEattar OS the mondxent in dotail. The cnptiou. aoao not otate ~thntEection 16'3.0 expra5el.y

ropee!cd;v&other it WQS ao intendedmust bo dotemined boS+oso your sooojnd gucetion oan be correctlyensrierod.sol+ tion 5, properly construed,oovcre-thec&me subjcot ma.tixr as the. proviso of section 16. ;qparontlp, the Lo&&2turo intcnd.ad that S5otion 5 sJm~l& Cake the place of tho provQo, oAd that it olxmld repesl thntxuch of Gcotion 16, by vi.Xtuo' OS ;;'ecticn 7$. the ro-p:nlill~ ollmm or the 1923 Act,

.:

.,

HonorableJohn 1% Ptitohett;P&g3 5

*SeotIon5 **being** void, it aonnot hevc the effect of~ro;rcnling tho proviso. YC is 0 nullity end bee no rzoro

elfeot t.)Lhn

iT it, bud nevtx! bcoa ConcolidstmIlJ;lr\omzltere v. KA.rby

LUGbp:?%: (Corn.

;qp.) 237 5.X. 703 (roviol;~250 &\Y. 476)1 CulbersonV. &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_rr 117, 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;Jmt both prod& caly for thG oonstruotionof O. dcm 8nd sey cothillg ebiut the UXI of the iiqsUn&d mterr Therefcre,ES it w’cis stated in Opiniun Xo. o-1993,.appareAtlg it 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& thttmuoh of YGctiorr 16 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 providesthnt one m~ap oonstruct on his pro::ertg a d&m nad rcs&w?ir to impoundorecontainnot to cxcbw~fifiy awe-feet -- for &xtio a~_d_l_iveatook gurnoaoswithout the neocstjity of seourirg a per&t therefor. Not oniy Is tl;ere G 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 raservofra~ to'.jmpouOd.zot I-iore than fifty (ClO]

ooro-feetof wetor and'thewitGr is to be usod 021~ for dmaetio and livoetockpurposes. GGcJ3 tus act ropeal thG provisa Clause of Eectlon 16, or 000s It wrely limit l.t8

acops @e are inclined to the latter v5.G~. There,isno prokaio~ in tho 1941 act s~aoificolly xep0nliing

eny other uot or statute,nor is t!xro e general rGgco.Xin5

clnc~e, licw~ovor,

w%ethGr the 1941 act is considered elcre,v;ith

no $rovisionrelating to the r6>GnJ. of fczmor lawo, OS \shetJier

it itr co2sid~rec?

cs t.&ing the pl~ao id Saction 5 of thy 1926 (XntkXn&tioA&~ 0. ?I,2~~.

CO. VI ~XGend, ci;cr; &P., 1015, 101 sj. w. !x4), so tkEt the goneral repealin8 olocso of the 1925 &ct would c~ply, thG rcti,at is ;kG 8R!!z ; that is, prior 5intut~cr; co rcpwilod to the ei;tcAt of thee conrliot0nl.y. wddia ot cl v. 'i‘crrsll, I.01 Tcxou 574, 110 S.X. 4ixJ

) Dcrry v. steto, 138 S.h. 759. Etate, im 8.K. 026; Pt.ir~hill v..
:

. ..*

. ..HonoxchloJ&n 8. Pritdhott,Page 6~Iionomblc John 5. .Frltchett, ?asc 7 .' '.. .

'. '.

Ylolatlon* Xf the water is wed for a &if&rent purpose, or if _' the damllppoundo

core thw. fifty (50) acre-feetand lose tkaa 'five hundred (500) sore-feet,the lendmmor car3tot .+plly USC the!

publicwaters iq:oundcdtha;ebyuntil he 6ccprcs e ponriit frorc, thq ?kcrd of Xator En&mm?, If he UYCS such water l:ithout

u pernit, thm ha lo vJ.olotinS the law, end he r,ry bo proscouted. Artiolo 75x0, Xovisod CivS1 Statcteo,nr.d Axrticlo 830, Penal Code. also ponolties could bo reoovarodunde:: 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:l

the &tornzp General, it is sufficimt to stnte tlint It hai not done so. ZoreZoro, the loaf11 prosecuti~ officers two char&d with the enforao::ont oil mm. &rticle Y, Strction 21, Coustitutlonol .?oxas; ~rticl.va

25-32, Codo of Cricrincl

Procedum; J-5'i'ox. Yur. 400. yicr trust that t?&e

foro~oi~ dl~cusslc~~setisfactor5.ly ansmz3 tho questions irr v:hich you are intcrcet;ed.

APPXVEGAUG 21, 194% Glenn R, Lewiio AsGistant

ATTORNZYGXKEHALOF 'i'E;XAS