THE.AITORNEYGENERAL 

OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 11, ‘,?EWI& WILSON 

QvroRNEY GENERAL 

July 3, 1957 

p/I- 04 

Honorable Howard D. Dodgen 

Executive Seoretary 

Oame and 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 011 property 

which hao been.‘patested ta 

the Huooes County Navigatiom Diutriot aad whether 

br not ehell may be removed from maid Prwerty 

under and by virtue of 

said .permltr. And related 

querrtioas. 

In. a zeoeat request for an oplalrn of thir office you 

state 98 felleya 

_ “Under ACtlcle 8225, Vernea’a~ Texas Statutes, 

lgJB,.the ComPlclsaloner of 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 Qame and Fish Commioslor. 

“ArU.ole 4026,‘Vernbnfa Texas Statutes, 1948, 

provideo that all aquatlo life contained in 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 alhd ail.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 00 
Hon. Howard D. 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 Game and Fish CommIsslir.has,~ 

fopa numbep of 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&ces and 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 Company from dredgisg on Its preperty and 

ordered It8 dredge and barges Off It8 Wa ter l s sd 

not tc trespass thereon.” 

You then ask the fellowisg twc questionsa 

*I. It Is requested, therefore, that you 

please isferm me whether, In your opinion, the 

Oame ad-Fish ~Cosm~lssiom has autherlty to Issue 

permlts.fOr oormheroial shell. drsdglrg purposes 

on @ropertfwhloti has-be&n patested ts the Nueoee 

County Navigation District and whether or 8ot 

shell may be remsved frem said,preperty under and 

by virtue or said permits. 
Hon. Howard D. 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 may be done on priperty .heretofore 

patented to the Nueces County N4vlgatIon District without a permit from the Game and 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 may be 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 l o - 

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 Law usder whloh raid ~~8ubd1v181o4 m4y 

be oreated shall have the right to purchase 

from the 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 sa id 

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. Howard D. 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 your first 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 or l 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 r Art. ,822s is thd 4-80 faotor r0r oe!slderatloa. 

.’ . . 

‘. 

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

*ICo be 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 our oourtehave 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 sum of l me dollar 

($1.00) a m l aro.ror tho laad I8 queetiom. Thir faot ma8ifosts 
Hon. 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 may declare 

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 

Game and 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 Game ard 

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 Game am3 Flrh, 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 

Game and 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 Game and Fish 
Hon. Howard D. Dodgen, page 6 (U&150) 

CommSsrlod.. We do 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 

Game and 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 Game aad Flrh Comn~irnloa. 

The. Game and Fish .Commiralrn 

authority under Artioler 4026 and 

.I a 

HRrbk 

har 

4051, 

et 84Q. V.C.S., to l&rue smrmltr for 

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 Qame and 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 

ia F a l r 0 i0a g an ruoh removal la la&idoatal 

C4 l uthorlred aavi@tlo8al purpoaea. 

<Very truly youra, 

WILL WILSON~ 

Attorney Goneral of Texas 

ByB& ALL& 

Milton Riohardson 

Assistant 
Hon.-Howard D. Dodgen, page <'(w-150) 

APPRGVED: 

OPIlircm COHMITT~ .'~ 

H. Grady Chandler, Chalman 

: ‘.