### THE.AITORNEYGENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN 11, ‘,?EWI& 

### WILSON QvroRNEY GENERAL July 

### 3, 1957 p/I- 04 Honorable HowardD. Dodgen Executive Seoretary Oameand Fish C0mmiool0n Auotin, 

### Texan Opinion no. ww-150


### Re:Whether or not the Oame and Fish Commlsslon hao authority to issue permits for o0mmeroial &hell dm?d-

‘gimg purpoeeo 011property which hao been.‘patested ta the Huooes County Navigatiom Diutriot aad whether br not ehell maybe 

### removed from 

### maidPrwerty under and by virtue of 

### said.permltr. 

### And related querrtioas. request for an oplalrn of thir office you In.a zeoeat state 98 felleya

_ “Under ACtlcle 

### 8225, Vernea’a~ Texas Statutes, lgJB,.the ComPlclsalonerof the GenePal Land Office ln.n~;hcted tn issue patents to navigation dist-

. Dew 

### Mr.Do&eat

*Artiole ~4051,.Vernea10 Texto ’Statutes, 1948, plaob all the maad., shell and gravel In the publia water0 of thin state uader the management aad ooatrol of the Texas Qameand Fish Commioslor.

“ArU.ole 4026,‘Vernbnfa Texas Statutes, 1948, provideo that all aquatlo life 

### containedin the fresh water streams of the state i& the propirty l f the pe6ple of the.Stat& of Texas itad all the publia rivero,‘bayouo, lagoons- oreeko, lakes, bays and inlets In this State alhdail.that part of the Gulf of ldexlao within the jurl~dlotlon rf~ thla Hate, together with their beds and bottom amd all the products thereof ohall cohtinue and remain the preperty of the Sate ef Texas exoept in 00Hon. HowardD. Dodgen, page 2 (WW-150)

far as the State shall permit the use of said waters and bottom@ or permit the taking of the produots of such waters and bottoma’and in so far as this use shall relate to or affect the taking of x x x x sand, gravel, marl, or mudshell and all other kinds of shell, the Game aad Fish CommIssioh shall have jurlsdlctloa over and control of In acaordanoe with and by the atithority vested In it by the laws.of this. State.

“08 October 22, 1947,’ July 31, 1951, aad Jaeuary 9, 1956, the Commlssloner of the General Land 

### '.Oi'fl~e'

Issued patents to the<Nueoes Ccuaty NavigatIon”Dlst~Ict for certain areas’ln Corpus Christ1 aid Ntieces Bays. A certified copy of 

### each patent Is attached.

.. “The Texas Gameand Fish CommIsslir.has,~ 

### fopa numbepof ye&s, Issued permit@ to the Corpus Christ1 Shell Compaiiy, thki

### Qe8eral,Dred-. gIng Compa8$.asd Heldenf els Brotheri,

_ all -of Corpus Christ1 to dredge shell for’
~‘commerola1 purposes-‘from j?brtIons- of Nu&cesand Ce~us ChristI bays. In some isstances the permits wbdld extend to arkas .heretofoti patested to the ,Nueoes County NavIgatIoh District and the shell dredgers have-IsfoVmed thie office that,,tha Nueces County Navlgatiaa District has instructed them not to dredge for shell on‘property pateated to it. In fast, we have beeti isformed the 7Vueoes County Navlgatien District stopped the Corpus ChrIstI Shell Companyfrom dredgisg on Its 

### prepertyand ordered It8 dredge and barges Off It8 Waters

l sd not tc trespass thereon.” You then ask the fellowisg twc questionsa *I. It Is requested, therefore, that you please isferm mewhether, In your opinion, the Oamead-Fish ~Cosm~lssiom has autherlty to Issue permlts.fOr oormheroial shell. 

### drsdglrgpurposes on @ropertfwhloti

has-be&npatestedts theNueoee County Navigation District and whether or 8ot shell maybe remsved frem said,preperty under and by virtue or said permits.Hon. HowardD. Dadgen, page 3 (W-150)

“2. In the event your answer to the above Question is negative, then please Inform me whether, In your opinion, commercial shell dredging maybe done on priperty .heretofore patented to the Nueces County N4vlgatIon District without a permit from the Gameand Fish Commlsslon.” Under the authority of Article 16, Section 59,.of the CeastItutlor of Texas, the development of navigation Is declired to be a public purpose and the legislature is authorLsed to piis8 laws which maybe appropriate to its development. Kueoes County Navigation District was organlsed and exists under ligislation authorlsed by the aforementioned constltutional provision. Thls mavigatlon dlstrlot Is a polltlcal sub-. dlvlslos~of the State performing government41 functions. Wll1acY’couaty Water Costrol.ind Improvement District No. 1 7 ?Lbesdroth’

. 142 Tex. 320 177.8 Y 26 93b. ..Broadly stated Ehe Navigatloi District Is ‘ihargid.‘witti the ‘d&elopment of &Igatlo4.-ulthln its boundaries. Artlole 8198, V.C.S., et seq. Article 8225, V.C.S., authorlses navlgatlo8 dl8trlcts to acquire thC secessary right of way 4nd property of l sy kind contemplated by this title. Th5s artlole plaaea with18 the disoretlom of the District the authority to determlse what lasd; lmoludll( attlte l

weed 

### submersed.

laid, It aeoesbarlly mtist lo- qulre f?r navlgatlosal developeat within Its district.

Article 8225 reads, l$&rt:

,.‘. ‘The Commlsslosers 'are empowered to

‘acquire the oecessary right of way asd property l f any kind.for 411 necessary improveme&s. contemplated b th tit1 ft gs-,: purohaiie or c9osde~at~o.ep~~~~d~~s. Asy H4vigatlOs~Dl8trlct heretofore 

### or hereafker ‘orka8ised under this title or l sy General Lawusder whloh raid ~~8ubd1v181o4 m4y be oreated shall have the right to purchase fromthe State of T&as. a8y lands and flats belonging to arid Strte, oovered 

### or partly covered by the waters of asy of the bays or l .ther armi of the sea; to be used by said Dlstrlct for the purposes authorised by faw with the.right to dredge out or to fill la and reclaim-said lands-or otherwlse improve the same;
. . v .n

.Hon. HowardD. podgem, page 4 (UW~l5CY)

...C
,. .* In oompllamoe with Art. 8225 thl three tracts of la.Rd isvolved were patented to the Nueces County Navlgatlom Dlstrlot.

To oorrectly answer 

### yourfirst questirs It la mecosa417 te 4acbt4im exactly "what" $8 the area Is question was appropriated or granted by theso patents:

‘

-’ Re-eaphasls should bi m4de of the fad that N4vlgatIoa DIstrIcta are polltIo41 subdlvl4loms l f..the State performimg gevermuemtal fum6tIors. WlllaC~~'%oumt~

### Uatei- Costrol

aid'Improvi%somt,Distrlot Ro. 1 v. Abesdroth, aupra. These patests are sot gmmt8 frm private lmdividuals tm prlv4te lndl Iduals. Tho rule of coistructlom that 8ramts 4ro te 

### be oosrtrue ii strlotly againrt the gramtor'lm f4ver sf the gramtee 58 mot - 4ppllcable hers. These prtemti have besm’luoed~u8der the‘auth- .iritf orl

m”Aot of the Le&lsltiture.-.$hr l~lalative intomt as to l x4atly irh4t 

### I#.te bo 

### &raM&d .W 4pprsprirtad **under,**the 4ut~orltf l

rArt. ,822s is thd 4-80 faotor r0r oe!slderatloa.

.’

. .

‘

. Art. 8225 ,provldes th4t. Ike lard. apDropriated Is

*ICobe used bi? arid Dicltrlot fer the purmseo l

uthorised bs law.p

, This ptWe.lo~f~, we believe” olaarlp NItrlots thijse &amts to that or a8 easememt” or hen by the Navlgatlim DlstrIot

.

This view Is subst4ntlated by the fact that 

### ouroourtehave held slmoe the days of the Republic th4t Act8 of the Legislature gramtimg uaencumbersd fee simple title to lands umder mav’lrable wrters l f the Mate must be exDlloft as to their lotek to grast the.fee sImple.titli thereto. State v. B+adford, 12l'Texr 515, 50 8.W. 24 1065~ C&h if.JMbresten v.-
‘m5’Tex.~ 319.“143 S.W.. 26 10231‘Leriio 0.. Crawford Pa&-

142 Vex. 51, 175 %W;--2d 410. 18 the. 188ta8t caee, 225 

### first.reMrIots iiubmdmeb lands ooiveyed thereunder to the~~we l



### f the N&l atios Diatikoti (48 lmdioited by the iimderllmed quote abwe 7 aiid l eoomdly, restriots thla use to purposes authorIsed.by law. stated broadly', the purpose8 for which the Navigatlan Diatiict Is. l utherlsed to hold lamd are for mavlgatiotil $urpose&. Udder theme circumstamcea ve cao l mly comstrue~~4rt; 8225 a8 4UthOplsiU the :approprZrtlon to the Navl#atlO8 Distrlot’.of the ‘p4r4moumt use for 8avigatlO8 purposes of atato owmed submerged la8d.

Our view is TurtheP supported by the fact that usder~ Art. ,.8225 the District fs to pay the l os1is4l sumof lmedollar ($1.00) am

l aro.ror tho laad I8 queetiom. Thir faot ma8ifostsHon. Howard D. Dodgen, @age 5 (W&150)

the intent of the,legislature to grant or appropriate somethlag less than the fee simple title to the land la question.

In final support of our view, Id the faot that Art. 824~, V.C.S., provides that Navigation Dlstrlots maydeclare their untieeded’lands surplus aad sell them to private parties. If a Navigation District were authorized to acquire the fee simple title to State,owned rubmerged lands under Art. 8225, It might subsequehtly declare such land surplus and dispose of them under Art. 8247b. We do not believe that It was the leglrlatlve latent by enacting Art. 8225 to create such a method for thi disposal of State owned submerged land. Thus, la view of Art. 8247b, we believe the legislature Intended that Art. 8225 authorize the appropriation by Navigation Dlstriots of only an “eaaementfl Or “~&IIIOUnt right Of USC?' in atate owned submerged lands.

By ‘the provisions of Art. 4026 and 4051, et seq., V.C.S., the Leglslatutie

has .placed the management and control of the shell and gravel underlyiag the waters of the State la the Gameand Fish Commlsslon and has likewise authorized the Gam? and Fish Commlsalon to Issue permits for the commercial dredging and eale of this shell.

Since Art. 8?25 authoriced only thi grant of a “parame@ use for navlgatlOnN In State' owned submerged lands, these Acts are not mutually 

### l atagonlstix but can be harmonlously oonstrued together. We belleve’the Legislature so Intended. Granting of commercial shell dredging-permits by the Gameard Fish Commlesldn upon the land6 la question 1s not oecessar5.1~ Incompatible with “the paramount use for navigation purposes to which the lands have been appropriated. If In fact commercial shell dredging does not Interfere with the paramount use to which the land la approprlated, then we are,of the opSalob that the Gameam3Flrh, Commlsrloa Is authorlsed to Issue osmmerclal shell dredging permits on the submerged lands Included la patents submitted with your request. Obviously a permit validly issued would authorice the removal of shell from the area included within the llmlts~ of the permit. Should any conflict arise between.the Navigation District and the Gameand Fish Commission ctinoerning shell dredging on the area In question, this oonfllct should be resolved by admlnlstratlve processes between the governmental agencies beari% la mind the paramount use for navigation.

In repIy to your second question, we inform you that the Navigation Dlstrlct might remove er provide for the removal of shell commerolally from the area in question wlthout obtaining a shell dredging permit from the Gameand FishHon. HowardD. Dodgen, page 6 (U&150)

CommSsrlod.. Wedo ndt mean to Imply by this answer that NaVigatiOa Diatrlots ar4 legally authorlsed or empowered to perform any function other than those In developmeat of and In aid of navigation. H4wever, If as an lnoldent to coartruotlon work, It Is neoesrary to remove shell from the submerged land In question (dredging chaasele, eta.) we are of the opinion that the District might reoelve remuneration for tho rhell. so r4moved without the aeoesalty of 

### l btalalng a commercial shell dredgi’ng permit from the Gameand Firh Commlsrloa. Our~v~4ws express’& herela are coaslstent with Art. ”976, ViP.C., wherein said article’ declarer It to be a peaal offense to r4move or dlrturb rhell and gravel within the waters of thla atate other than that neoessary or laoldrat to aavli3atlOa or dredglag under State or Federal authority without’flr.at obtai8ing a permit from the Gameaad Flrh Comn~irnloa.

The.Game and Fish .Commiralrn authority under Artioler 4026 and

.I a HRrbk har 4051, for et 84Q. V.C.S., to l&rue 

### smrmltr oommiiroial ahell dredging l i State ova&d- ,. laadr^pateated to the Nueocr County Bavi8 atlou Diatrlot undCr atithorlty of Artlol6 225, V.C23.,, IO-long 88 ‘the drsdglag does sot Interfere pith the p+nmouat liae of 

### mid land for savlgatloa~purporres. A permit from the Qameand Flah -. Coinmi8sloa to dredge sholl’oa laada barbtofor pat4atid to the Rueoqr County Navleat108 District la not a prerequlaite to tho removal of shell. commerolally from said

an ruoh removal la la&idoatal iaFar l 0i0ag C4 luthorlred aavi@tlo8al purpoaea. <Verytruly youra, WILLWILSON~ Attorney Goneral of Texas ByB& ALL& Milton Riohardson AssistantHon.-Howard 

### D. Dodgen,page <'(w-150)

APPRGVED: OPIlircm

COHMITT~ .'~ H. GradyChandler,Chalman

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