Opinion ID: 1097901
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: theory of nuisance

Text: We first address plaintiffs' count claiming nuisance. The trial court took judicial notice of the fact that the entire Mitchell Reservoir area as well as the upstream and downstream areas of the Alabama-Coosa River Basin were affected by the flooding complained of. It was undisputed that essentially all the property owners located on Mitchell Reservoir were flooded on April 13, 1979. Accordingly, we agree with the trial court that plaintiffs' count for private nuisance is barred by Code of 1975, § 6-5-121, which provides: Nuisances are either public or private. A public nuisance is one which damages all persons who come within the sphere of its operation, though it may vary in its effects on individuals. A private nuisance is one limited in its injurious effects to one or a few individuals. Generally, a public nuisance gives no right of action to any individual, but must be abated by a process instituted in the name of the state. A private nuisance gives a right of action to the person injured. In addition this Court in Burnett v. Alabama Power Co., 199 Ala. 337, 74 So. 459 (1917), dealt with whether or not APCo's operation of its dams across a navigable waterway constituted a nuisance. In holding inter alia that APCo was not liable for flood damages, this Court stated: [The defenses of Alabama Power Company], in effect, set up that the things complained of resulted from backing the water, by the construction of a dam across a navigable river, which was constructed by it, as a governmental agency, in the aid of navigation, under the law, federal and state, and in strict compliance with the plans and specifications required by the government. This not only relieved the defendant from the creation or maintenance of a nuisance, but the act being lawful in itself, and having been performed in strict compliance with scientific government specifications and requirements, there could be no negligence in doing the thing so sanctioned and which was the proximate cause of the damages claimed.... As the government had the authority to construct the dam, it could delegate this river improvement to another, and if its requirements as to construction were complied with by the agent, there could be no liability against the said agent.... 199 Ala. at 361-62, 74 So. 467-68. Finally, it is uncontroverted that APCo operated its dam in accordance with the Department of the Army's flood control plan in adhering to the induced surcharge curve. Therefore, the damages were not caused, in fact, by any act of APCo. The undisputed facts show that by following the Flood Control Plan during major flooding, the effect of the flooding will not be greater than that which would have occurred in the absence of the dam.