groundwater case law, tagd leadership training, september 2014: stacey steinbach
TRANSCRIPT
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Groundwater Case Law
Stacey Allison-Steinbach
Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts
Leadership Training
September 16, 2014
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Groundwater Ownership
Other Noteworthy Cases*
GCD Inventory
Emerging Legislative Issues
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Houston & TX Central RR v. East• 1904 TXSC decision; landowner’s well went dry when railroad
drilled well next door
• Court held landowners may capture unlimited amount of groundwater beneath their property
• Doctrine of nonliability for drainage, NOT a property rule (“Law of the biggest pump”)
• Provides little certainty and no protection
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Limits: Rule of Capture• Trespass
• Malicious or wanton conduct
• Waste (but see Corpus Christi v. Pleasanton)
• Subsidence due to negligent over pumping (Friendswood)
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The Evolution Continues• Pecos County WCID No. 1 v. Williams et al. (1954)• City of Corpus Christi
v. City of Pleasanton (1955)
• Friendswood Dev. Co. v. Smith-Southwest Ind. (1978)
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The Evolution Continues (pt. 2)• Sipriano v. Great Springs Waters of America
(1999)• City of Del Rio v. Hamilton Trust
(2008)•Guitar Holding v. Hudspeth
County UWCD No. 1 (2008)
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Legislature Weighs In (SB 332)• Landowners own groundwater below the surface as real
property
• Landowner entitled to drill for and produce groundwater, but not a specific amount
• GCDs may limit or prohibit drilling based on spacing or tract size and regulate production of groundwater
• EAA/subsidence districts excluded
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EAA v. Day & McDaniel
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Facts• 1956: irrigation well drilled; used until 1970s• Before 1983: well casing collapsed/pump removed; well
continued to produce water that was stored in holding tank and used for irrigation and recreation
• 1993: EAA created; historic use period ends• 1994: Plaintiffs purchase property• 1996: Plaintiffs timely request 700 acre-feet; EAA denies based
on no historic use
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Issues• Did EAA err in limiting permit to 14 af?• Do plaintiffs have a constitutionally protected interest in
the groundwater beneath their property?• Did the EAA’s denial of a permit in the amount requested
constitute a taking?• Are plaintiffs’ other constitutional arguments valid?
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Holding• Did EAA err in limiting permit to 14 af? No• Do plaintiffs have a constitutionally protected interest in
the groundwater beneath their property? Yes• Did the EAA’s denial of a permit in the amount requested
constitute a taking? Don’t Know• Are plaintiffs’ other constitutional arguments valid? No
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Analysis• Rule of capture and ownership in place NOT mutually exclusive
• Property interest in groundwater in place subject only to rule of capture and GCD regulations
• Penn Central analysis
• EAA acted in accordance with EAA Act; did NOT say whether taking occurred (now settled)
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EAA v. Bragg
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Facts• Two pecan orchards, one with historic use
• EAA issued one reduced permit and denied other
• Braggs were forced to purchase water for irrigating (10% increase in irrigation costs)
• Trial court found for plaintiffs
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• Who is the proper party – the EAA or the State?
• Did the EAA’s actions amount to a taking?
• How should damages be measured?
Issues
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• Who is the proper party – the EAA or the State?
• Did the EAA’s actions amount to a taking? Yes
• How should damages be measured? Value of orchards before and after
Holding
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Takings Analysis
• Economic impact
• Interference with investment backed expectations
• Character of governmental action
• “Other Relevant Factors”
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What We Know• Land ownership includes a constitutionally-protected interest in
groundwater in place that cannot be taken for public use without adequate compensation
• That interest does not preclude regulation by a GCD in accordance with Chapter 36 of the Water Code
• Some limitation of groundwater production does not constitute a compensable taking
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What We Don’t Know• How much regulation is too much?
• Is there a distinction between EAA and Chapter 36 GCDs when it comes to a takings claim?
• How will different “uses” be affected?
• Will there be unintended consequences?
• How are damages are calculated? (see Bragg)
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Groundwater Ownership
Other Noteworthy Cases*
GCD Inventory
Emerging Legislative Issues
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FPL Farming v. EPS• Groundwater trespass case
• Rice farmer claims wastewater from EPS injection well migrated into saltwater aquifer beneath farmer’s land
• Trial court and court of appeals found for EPS, but TXSC held that obtaining a permit does not provide protection against tort liability
• On remand, Beaumont court of appeals held operator liable for trespassing; back on appeal at TXSC
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LULAC v. EAA• League of United Latin American Citizens challenged EAA’s
state-mandated precinct voting system
• Argue one-person/one-vote should be used
• Special-purpose districts generally excluded from constitutional provision
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Forestar v. Lost Pines GCD (x2)
Directors sued in both official and individual capacities in both cases
• Appeal of Board’s denial of hearing request on Griffin Industries permit application
• Permit for 224 af/year
• Lee Co. takings lawsuit• Uncontested permit
applications for 45K af/year • Board granted 12K af/year
based on proposed use during permit period
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Homework (Current Cases)• City of Lubbock v. Coyote Lake Ranch, LLC
• Middle Pecos Groundwater v. Fort Stockton Holdings
• Kinney County GCD lawsuits
• Cities of Richmond and Rosenberg v Fort Bend SD
• Wimberley Valley Watershed Assoc. v Hays-Trinity GCD
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Groundwater Ownership
Other Noteworthy Cases*
GCD Inventory
Emerging Legislative Issues
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GCD Inventory
http://www.texasgroundwater.org/resources/gcdi.html
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Groundwater Ownership
Other Noteworthy Cases*
GCD Inventory
Emerging Legislative Issues
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83rd Legislature - Groundwater• HB 1563: fees of office for GCD Board increased
from $150 to $250/day; cap still $9,000• SB 1282: DFC proposal deadline extended to
May 1, 2016• Dozens of major groundwater bills did not pass
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Emerging Issues – What’s Next?• Long-term permitting
• Desalination, brackish groundwater, and aquifer storage and recovery
• Groundwater and oil and gas (hydraulic fracturing, injection/disposal wells)
• Well construction standards and enforcement
• DFC Appeals (see prior case law)