Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

THE.AITORNEYGENERAL
OF TEXAS
AUSTIN 11, ‘,?E-
WI& 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 011property
which hao been.‘patested ta
the Huooes County Naviga-
tiom Diutriot aad whether
br not ehell may be re-
moved from maid Prwerty
under and by virtue of
said .permltr. And related
Dew Mr. Do&eat 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-
.
*Artiole ~4051,.Vernea10 Texto’Statutes, 1948,
plaob all the maad., shell and gravel In the pub-
lia 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
lf 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 mud-
shell 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
Issued patents to the142 Tex. 320 177. 8 Y 26 93b. ..Broadly stated Ehe
Navigatloi District Is ‘ihargid.‘witti the ‘d&elopment of &I-
gatlo4.-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 lsy kind
contemplated by this title. Th5s artlole plaaea with18 the dis-
oretlom of the District the authority to determlse what lasd;
lmoludll( attlte lweed 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 prop-
erty lf any kind.for 411 necessary improve-
me&s. contemplated b th tit1 ft
gs-,: purohaiie or c9osde~at~o.ep````d``s.
Asy H4vigatlOs~Dl8trlct heretofore or here-
,.‘. afker ‘orka8ised under this title or lsy
General Law usder whloh raid ``8ubd1v181o4m4y
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 is-
volved were patented to the Nueces County Navlgatlom Dlstrlot.
To oorrectly answer your first questirs It la mecos-
a417 te 4acbt4im "what" $8 the area Is question was
exactly
appropriated or granted by theso patents:
‘-’ Re-eaphasls should bi m4de of the fad that N4vlgatIoa
DIstrIcta are polltIo41 subdlvl4loms lf..the State performimg
gevermuemtal fum6tIors. WlllaC``'%oumt~ Uatei-Costrolaid'Im-
provi%somt ,Distrlot Ro. 1 v. Abesdroth, aupra. These patests
are sot gmmt8 frm private lmdividuals tm prlv4te lndl Iduals.
Tho rule of coistructlom that 8ramts 4ro te be oosrtrue ii
strlotly againrt the gramtor'lm f4ver sf the gramtee 58 mot -
4ppllcable hers. These prtemti have besm’luoed~u8der the‘auth-
.iritf o r lm”Aot of the Le&lsltiture.-.$hr l~lalative intomt as
to lx4atly irh4t I# .te bo &raM&d .W 4pprsprirtad under, the
4ut~orltf lr 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 luthorised 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 oourte-
have held slmoe the days of the Republic th4t Act8 of the Leg-
islature gramtimg uaencumbersd fee simple title to lands
umder mav’lrable wrters lf 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 lf the N&l atios Diatikoti (48 lmdioited by the
iimderllmed quote abwe 7 aiid leoomdly, restriots thla use to
purposes authorIsed.by law. stated broadly', the purpose8 for
which the Navigatlan Diatiict Is. lutherlsed to hold lamd are
for mavlgatiotil $urpose&. Udder theme circumstamcea ve cao
lmly 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 los1is4l sum of lme dollar
($1.00) a mlaro.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 some-
thlag 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 Dlst-
riots 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 Leglslatutiehas .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 dred-
ging and eale of this shell.
Since Art. 8?25 authoriced only thi grant of a “para-
me@ use for navlgatlOnN In State' owned submerged lands,
these Acts are not mutually latagonlstix but can be harmonlous-
ly 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 com-
mercial 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 admln-
lstratlve 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 wlth-
out 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 re-
muneration 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 har
authority under Artioler 4026 and 4051,
et 84Q. V.C.S., to l&rue smrmltr for
oommiiroial ahell dredging li State ova&d- ,.
laadr^pateated to the Nueocr County Bavi-
atlou Diatrlot undCr atithorlty of Artlol6
8 225, 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 barb-
tofor pat4atid to the Rueoqr County Navl-
eat108 District la not a prerequlaite to
tho removal of shell. commerolally from said
ia F a l
r 0i0a g an ruoh removal la la&idoatal
C4 luthorlred aavi@tlo8al purpoaea.