Opinion ID: 1865465
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: jurisdiction

Text: The Water Management Board is authorized to regulate and control the development, conservation, and allocation of the right to South Dakota's waters. See SDCL ch. 46-1; SDCL 46-2-9; SDCL 46-2-11; Matter of South Dakota Water Management Board, 351 N.W.2d 119 (S.D. 1984); and Matter of South Lincoln Rural Water System, 295 N.W.2d 743 (S.D.1980). Pursuant to SDCL 1-26-15, the Board was required to provide rules for declaratory rulings as to the applicability of any statutory provision or of any rule or order of the agency. ARSD 74:02:01:46 provides procedures for such declaratory rulings, i.e., it simply effectuates the law as declared by the State Legislature. Landers contends, however, that this action was beyond the scope of the Board's jurisdiction because it involves disputed facts and seeks coercive relief. [] With Landers' contention, we disagree. Controversies and disputed questions of fact do not preclude a case from declaratory procedures. Greene v. Wiese, 75 S.D. 515, 69 N.W.2d 325 (1955). Declaratory and coercive relief may both be granted upon proper grounds. 22 Am.Jur.2d Declaratory Judgments § 100 (1965). See also, D. Dobbs, Handbook on the Law of Remedies, § 2.1 (1973). SDCL 1-26-25 provides that the Board may direct the taking of action, and under SDCL 1-40-19 and SDCL 1-32-1(10), the Board may order action or the abatement of action. Whether or not the Board had the independent authority to enforce its order (a separate consideration), as the footnote reveals the circuit court questioned, need not be addressed for the circuit court most assuredly has the authority to enforce its own order requiring removal of the dams. Landers further contends that the circuit court had exclusive jurisdiction of this matter because SDCL 46-10-4.1 deprives the Board of such jurisdiction. SDCL 46-10-4.1 provides, inter alia, that any person may bring an action for the purpose of determining conflicting water rights or rights to use water. In addressing Landers' contention, we first note that SDCL 46-10-4.1 states that a person may bring an action in circuit court. The statute does not, however, require it to be brought in circuit court. Second, we note that in other areas of the law, we have recognized that courts and administrative bodies can each have jurisdiction over the same type of dispute. See Mordhorst v. Egert, 88 S.D. 527, 223 N.W.2d 501 (1974). Under the circumstances here, both the Board and the circuit court could statutorily entertain this matter and we reject Landers' assertion that the trial court had exclusive jurisdiction. It is noted that Romey sought coercive relief after the Water Resources engineer informed Landers to halt the construction of dams; that Landers indicated he would; but that Landers continued to construct additional dams, dikes, and levees. Landers did not have a water permit nor had he filed an application for a water permit to appropriate water for irrigation for any of the dams, dikes, and levees constructed by him on either branch of Black Banks Creek. It is understandable that Romey and State officials would seek redress before the Water Management Board of this State to stop, correct, and alleviate this type of conduct. We note further that the two original dams on the south branch of the Black Banks Creek were permitted to exist to the benefit of Landers. This Board attempted to be fair and to achieve the ends which could be fairly said to effectuate the policy of the State Legislature, which State Legislature created the administrative agency and defined its duties.