EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY v. DAY

No. 08-0964.

369 S.W.3d 814 (2012)

The EDWARDS AQUIFER AUTHORITY and The State of Texas, Petitioners, v. Burrell DAY and Joel McDaniel, Respondents.

Supreme Court of Texas.

Decided February 24, 2012.

Rehearing Denied June 8, 2012.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Kristofer S. Monson , Assistant Solicitor General, Brian E. Berwick , Samuel Robert Wiseman , David S. Morales , Peter Carl Hansen , Office of the Attorney General of Texas, Greg W. Abbott , Attorney General of Texas, Kent C. Sullivan , Clarence Andrew Weber , Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP, Austin, TX, James C. Ho , Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Dallas, TX, for The State of Texas.

Darcy Alan Frownfelter , Kemp Smith, P.C., Hunter Wyatt Burkhalter , Andrew S. Miller , Kemp Smith LLP, Austin, TX, Mark N. Osborn , Kemp Smith LLP, El Paso, TX, Pamela Stanton Baron , Attorney at Law, Austin, TX, for Edwards Aquifer Authority.

Thomas E. Joseph , Tom Joseph, PC, San Antonio, TX, for Burrell Day.

Thomas H. Crofts Jr. , Crofts & Callaway, P.C., San Antonio, TX, for Amicus Curiae Medina County Irrigators Alliance.

Marisa Perales , Lowerre Frederick Perales, Austin, TX, Enrique Valdivia , Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, Inc., San Antonio, TX, for Amicus Curiae Angela Garcia.

Michael J. Booth , Booth, Ahrens & Werkenthin, P.C., Austin, TX, for Amicus Curiae City of Victoria.

Douglas G. Caroom , Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta LLP, Austin, TX, for Amicus Curiae Texas Farm Bureau and Texas Cattle Feeders Association.

C. W. "Rocky" Rhodes , South Texas College of Law, Houston, TX, for Amicus Curiae Harris-Galveston Subsidence District.

Lance Hunter Beshara , Pulman Cappuccio Pullen & Benson, LLP, San Antonio, TX, for Amicus Curiae The Alliance of EAA Permit Holders.

Thomas M. Pollan , Bickerstaff Heath & Delgado Acosta LLP, Austin, TX, for Amicus Curiae Canadian River Municipal Water Authority.

Susan Combs, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Austin, TX, pro se.

Russell S. Johnson , McGinnis, Lochridge & Kilgore, LLP, Austin, TX, for Amicus Curiae Texas Wildlife Association.

Dolores Alvarado Hibbs , Texas Department of Agriculture, Austin, TX, for Amicus Curiae Texas Department of Agriculture.

Marvin W. Jones , Spouse Shrader Smith, PC, Amarillo, TX, for Amicus Curiae Texas Landowners Council.

James H. Barrow , Law Offices of James H. Barrow, P.C., San Antonio, TX, J. David Breemer , Pacific Legal Foundation, Sacramento, CA, for Amicus Curiae Pacific Legal Foundation.

Samuel Abel Medina , City Attorney, Lubbock, TX, for Amicus Curiae City of Lubbock.

Lisa Bowlin Hobbs , Vinson & Elkins, LLP, Austin, TX, for Amicus Curiae Mesa Water, L.P.

Robert D. Andron , General Counsel, El Paso Water Utilities Public Svcs. Board, El Paso, TX, for Amicus Curiae City of El Paso.

Marcus W. Norris , Amarillo City Attorney's Office, Amarillo, TX, for Amicus Curiae City of Amarillo.

Gregory S. Coleman , Yetter Coleman LLP, Austin, TX, for Amicus Curiae Glenn Bragg.

William Richard Thompson II , Hankinson LLP, Dallas, TX, for Amicus Curiae Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts.

Robert L. Duncan , Crenshaw Dupree & Milam, L.L.P., Lubbock, TX, for Amicus Curiae State Senator Robert Duncan.

Dee J. Kelly , Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP, Fort Worth, TX, for Amicus Curiae Anne Windfohr Marion.

J.B. Love Jr. , Love Law Office, Marathon, TX, for Amicus Curiae Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association.

Phil Steven Kosub , San Antonio Water System, San Antonio, TX, for Amicus Curiae City of San Antonio.


Justice HECHT delivered the opinion of the Court.

We decide in this case whether land ownership includes an interest in groundwater in place that cannot be taken for public use without adequate compensation guaranteed by article I, section 17(a) of the Texas Constitution.1 We hold that it does. We affirm the judgment of the court of appeals2 and remand the case to...

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