• Commercial Webinar Series
• 1 hour presentation
• Questions will be answered at the end.
• For technical questions, call 800-2636317.
Commercial Webinar Series
Water Rights
Presented by
Charles Porter, Real Estate, Water Rights,
and Construction Expert
Kinski Leuffer, Associate Counsel
Mark Lehman, Vice President of Governmental Affairs
July 19, 2012
Outline
• Overview of Texas Water Law
–
–
–
Definitions
History
Recent Developments
• Water Today
• The Future
• Legislative Update
I. Overview
• Definitions:
– What are water rights?
• A legal right to use the water of a natural stream or
water furnished through a ditch or canal, for general
purposes, such as irrigation, mining, power, or
domestic use, either to its full capacity or to a
measured extent during a defined portion of the time.
I. Overview
• Definitions
– Groundwater
•
•
•
water percolate below the surface of the earth;
not state owned; and
the rights belong to the landowner
TWC § 36.001(5)
I. Overview
• Definitions
– Groundwater
• When put or allowed to sink into the ground,
water appropriated loses its character and
classification as storm water or floodwater
and is considered percolating groundwater.
TWC § 11.023(d).
I. Overview
• Definitions
– Surface water
• the water of the ordinary flow, underflow, and
tides of every flowing river, natural stream, and
lake, and of every bay or arm of the Gulf of
Mexico, and the storm water, floodwater, and
rainwater of every river, natural stream canyon,
ravine depression, and watershed in the state
TWC § 11.021(a)
I. Overview
• Definitions
– Diffused surface water
• water on the surface that has not yet entered a
watercourse
• rain runoff
• water left in upland areas after a flood recedes
Kaiser, R. (2005). Who Owns the Water: A Primer on Texas
Groundwater Law. Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine, July 2005.
I. Overview
• Definitions
– Who’s property is it?
• Groundwater  property of the landowner. TWC §
36.002(a).
• Surface water  property of the state. TWC §
11.021(a).
• Diffused surface water  belongs to the landlowner until
it enters a natural watercourse.
I. Overview
• Definitions
– What are groundwater rights?
• Groundwater rights entitle the landowner to drill for and
produce the groundwater below the surface, subject to
limitations by districts, without causing waste or
malicious drainage of other property or negligently
causing subsidence. TWC § 36.002(b)(1).
I. Overview
• Definitions
– What are surface rights?
• Rights acquired under the laws of this state to impound,
divert, or use state water. The right to use surface water
may be acquired by appropriation. TWC §§ 11.002(5) and
11.022.
I. Overview
• History
– Groundwater
• 1904 - TX adopts common law rule of capture
• 1949 - Groundwater districts created
I. Overview
• History
– Rule of capture  allows the owner of
land to pump as much water as he
desires from under his property
Houston & Texas Central Ry. Co. v. East,
98 Tex. 146, 81 S.W. 279 (1904) (East).
I. Overview
• History
– Groundwater Conservation District
(GCD)
• A district that has the authority to regulate the
spacing of water wells, the production from
water wells, or both.
I. Overview
• History
– How many GCDs are there?
• Currently, there are 99 GCDs in Texas: 96 confirmed and 3
that are yet to be confirmed by voters through local
elections.
– Where are they located?
• http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/mapping/doc/maps/gcd_only_8x
11.pdf
I. Overview
• History
– What if the area is not covered by a
GCD?
• The rule of capture applies.
I. Overview
• History
– Surface water
• TX applied the doctrine of riparian rights
• The Irrigation Act of 1889 and 1895
– - Led to appropriative rights
• The 1913 and 1917 Irrigation Acts
– - TX adopts permit system
• 1931 Wagstaff Act
– - Ranking of preferred water uses
I. Overview
• History
– Surface water
• 1957 Cancellation statutes
– - cancellation of water rights for nonuse
• 1967 Water Rights Adjudication Act
I. Overview
• History
– Riparian rights
• A riparian water right entitles the owner of
property adjacent to a watercourse to make
reasonable use of water.
I. Overview
• History
– Appropriation System
• “First in time, first in right” rule
• water must be beneficially used
• prohibited diversion or impounding that
damages the property of another by the
overflow of the water
• secured by filing a sworn statement with
county clerk
I. Overview
• Current Permit system
– A permit may be obtained if:
• the unappropriated water is available:
• the use does not conflict with existing water rights; and
• the use is not detrimental to the public welfare.
–
Permit exemptions are found in Section 11.142
of the Texas Water Code.
TWC § 11.134
I. Overview
• Recent Developments
–
Edwards Aquifer Authority v. Day
• The Texas Supreme Court held that landowners own
the groundwater in place beneath their property that
cannot be taken for public use without adequate
compensation
Edwards Aquifer Authority v. Day, --- S.W.3d ----, 2012 WL 592729
(Tex., Feb. 24, 2012)
Water Today
The Future
Legislative Update
Resources
• Water Rights for Texas Agents
–
–
TREC Course #: 04-00-064-24518.
4 hours of MCE credit
• Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
–
http://www.tceq.texas.gov/agency/water_main.html
• Texas Water Development Board
–
http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
–
http://water.epa.gov/
Questions
• For questions, please contact:
– Charles Porter - charlp@stedwards.edu
– The Legal Hotline 512/480-8200
Conclusion
• Thanks for your participation in our 2nd
commercial webinar!
• Future Webinar Dates (4 scheduled)
– March 28, 2013
– May 23, 2013
– July 25, 2013
– October 24, 2013
• Give us your feedback!