Opinion ID: 1410520
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: effect of the easement

Text: The next assignment of error involves whether the trial court gave the proper force and effect to the easements granted to the surface waters of Shook's Run Dam. The appellant maintains that the provisions of the easement granting Potomac Valley the right to operate and maintain the dam gives Potomac Valley an easement over the entire lake and therefore, appellees cannot renounce, rescind or alter the rights granted under the easement to Potomac Valley. Moreover, since Potomac Valley does not restrict the uses of the lake, neither can the appellees. In contrast, the appellees contend that the trial court made no error in finding that Potomac Valley acquired no right to convey to any other person or entity any right or interest beyond that acquired by it, by virtue of the easements. The appellees argue that the only right acquired by Potomac Valley was simply the right to construct and maintain the flood control project. It is evident from the easement granted to Potomac Valley by the appellees that nothing more than the right to construct, operate and maintain a dam located on the appellees' and the appellant's property was acquired by Potomac Valley. The appellant's attempt to persuade this Court to find anything more than this acquisition by Potomac Valley is tenuous at best. The language granting the easement specifically states that the appellees as grantor do[] hereby grant, bargain, sell, convey and release unto Potomac Valley Soil Conservation District ... an easement in, over and upon a portion of the following described land ... for the purposes of: For or in connection with the construction, operation, maintenance, and inspection of a floodwater retarding structure, designated as site [No.] or # 1 in the plans for South Fork ... Watershed, to be located on the above described land; for the flowage of any waters in, over, upon, or through such structure; and for the permanent storage and temporary detention, either or both, of any waters that are impounded, stored or detained by such structure. However, the appellees specifically restricted the grant of this easement in the following provision: There is reserved to the Grantor, his heirs and assigns, the right and privilege to use the above described land of the Grantor at any time, in any manner and for any purpose not inconsistent with the full use and enjoyment by the Grantee, its successors and assigns, of the rights and privileges herein granted. Consequently when these provisions are read together, it is obvious that the appellees did not grant to Potomac Valley any right to convey to any other person or entity the right to use the appellees' property for anything other than constructing, maintaining and operating the dam. Thus, we affirm the lower court's ruling on this matter.