§2325. Powers

A. Said authority shall have the power:

(1) To have a corporate seal.

(2) To acquire by purchase, gift, devise, lease, expropriation or other mode of acquisition, to hold, pledge, encumber, lease and dispose of real and personal property of every kind within its territorial jurisdiction, whether or not subject to mortgage or any other lien.

(3) To make and enter into contracts, conveyances, mortgages, deeds or trusts, bonds, and leases in the carrying out of its corporate objectives including but not limited to contracts for the legal services of a special counsel.

(4) To let contracts for the construction or acquisition in any other manner of property and facilities incident to the carrying out of the corporate purposes of the authority, which contracts shall be let in such manner as shall be determined by the board of commissioners.

(5) To incur debts and borrow money, but no debt so incurred shall be payable from any source other than the revenues to be derived by the authority from sources other than taxation.

(6) To fix, maintain, collect, and revise rates, charges, and rentals for the facilities of the authority and the services rendered thereby including but not limited to all charges for services and goods provided by or through the Sabine River Channel and Diversion System.

(7) To pledge all or any part of its revenues.

(8) To enter into agreements of any nature with any person or persons (natural or artificial), corporation, association, or other entity, including public corporations, political subdivisions, municipalities, and federal and state agencies and instrumentalities of every kind, for the operation of all or any part of the properties and facilities of the authority.

(9) To do all things necessary or convenient to carry out its functions.

(10) To conserve, store, control, preserve, utilize, and distribute the waters of the rivers and streams of the Sabine watershed including but not limited to all waters flowing through the Sabine River Channel and Diversion System; to drain and reclaim or cause to be drained and reclaimed, the undrained or partially drained marsh, swamp, and overflow lands in the district of said authority, with the view of controlling floods and causing settlement and cultivation of such lands; and in addition to all of the aforementioned powers for the conservation and beneficial utilization of water resources, to control and employ such waters of the Sabine River and its tributaries in the state of Louisiana, including the storm and flood waters thereof, as are hereinafter set forth:

(a) To provide through practical and legal means for the control and coordination of the regulation of the waters of the Sabine River and its tributary streams;

(b) To provide by adequate organization and administration for the preservation of the equitable rights of the people of the different sections of the watershed area, in the beneficial use of the waters of the Sabine River and its tributary streams;

(c) For storing, controlling, and conserving the waters of the Sabine River and its tributaries within and without the district, and the prevention of the escape of any such waters without the maximum of service to the public; for the prevention of devastation of lands from recurrent overflow and the protection of life and property in such district from uncontrolled flood waters;

(d) For the conservation of the Sabine River and its tributaries essential for the domestic use of the people of the district, including all necessary water supplies of cities and towns;

(e) For the irrigation of lands within the state of Louisiana where irrigation is required for agricultural purposes, or may be deemed helpful to more profitable agricultural production, and for the equitable distribution of said waters to the regional potential requirements for all uses, hydroelectric, domestic, municipal, manufacturing, and irrigation, provided that no generating capacity other than hydroelectric shall be installed by the authority. The authority shall have no power to construct, own, or lease any electric transmission or distribution lines. All plans and all works provided by said authority shall have primary regard to the necessary and potential needs for water;

(f) For the encouragement and development of drainage systems and for drainage of lands in the watershed of the Sabine River and its tributary streams needed for agricultural production; and drainage of other land in the watershed area of the authority requiring drainage for the most advantageous use;

(g) For the purpose of encouraging the conservation of all soils against destructive erosion and preventing the increased flood menace incidental thereto;

(h) To control and make available for employment of said waters in the development of commercial and industrial enterprises in all sections of the area within the watershed of the Sabine River and its tributaries, to improve the Sabine River for navigation; to construct or otherwise acquire and operate navigation facilities and to make contracts with the United States with reference thereto;

(i) For the control, storing, and employment of the waters of the watershed area of the Sabine River and its tributaries, including storm and flood waters, in the development and distribution of hydroelectric powers.

(11)(a) To utilize the waters of the Sabine River for the generation of electric power, to sell the use of the water of said river for the production of electric power, to provide or furnish power and to that end to construct, maintain, operate, or lease any or all hydroelectric generating facilities within its territorial jurisdiction useful for such purpose. Rates set by the authority shall be regulated by the Public Service Commission.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provisions of law to the contrary, the authority shall not utilize or sell the use of the waters of the Toledo Bend Reservoir for the generation or production of hydroelectric power if the mean sea level of the reservoir is below one hundred sixty-eight feet, except under any one of the following circumstances:

(i) The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or its successor orders or requires a reduction in the water level of the reservoir for purposes of inspecting or repairing the dam.

(ii) Failure to do so will result in an insufficient supply of electric power in relation to the demand for such power by its firm or non-interruptible power users.

(iii) Nonuse of the waters of the reservoir for the generation of hydroelectric power will result in the failure to satisfy minimum down river flow requirements necessary to meet water sales from the diversion canals of the Sabine River Channel and Diversion System and deter saltwater encroachment.

(iv) Nonuse of the waters of the reservoir for the generation of hydroelectric power will result in saltwater encroachment in the Sabine River Estuaries.

(12) To purchase or construct all works and facilities necessary or convenient to the exercise of the foregoing powers and to accomplish the purposes specified in this Chapter, and to purchase or otherwise acquire, within its territorial jurisdiction all real and personal property necessary or convenient for carrying out such purposes.

(13) To enter into an agreement with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for the permanent assignment of four commissioned wildlife officers and agents to the Toledo Bend Reservoir, wherein the authority shall be obligated to pay the salaries and related benefits, including all costs of equipment and land and water transportation for such officers for a period of two years, commencing September 1, 1992.

(14) To do all things necessary to facilitate economic development and to promote recreation and tourism within its jurisdiction including the advertisement and publication of information relating to business opportunities, businesses, recreational activities, parks and other recreational facilities, and tourist attractions.

(15) Nothing in this Subsection is intended to restrict the use of water from the Toledo Bend Reservoir for any reason, other than hydroelectric power generation, when the mean sea level is below one hundred sixty-eight feet, provided however, that during any time period that the Sabine River Authority restricts the use of water for electric generation, the utility shall not pay the authority for power that it was prevented from generating.

(16)(a) To enter into any and all contracts and other agreements with any person, real or artificial, any public or private entity, any government or governmental agency, including the United States of America, the state of Texas, the Sabine River Authority of Texas, the state of Louisiana, and the agencies, bureaus, departments, and political subdivisions thereof, which contracts and other agreements may provide for the sale, conservation, storage, utilization, preservation, distribution, or consumption, whether within or without the state of Louisiana, of the waters over which the authority has jurisdiction or over which the authority has legal control.

(b) The written concurrence of the governor shall be required for any contracts and other agreements which provide for the sale, utilization, distribution, or consumption, outside of the boundaries of the state of Louisiana, of the waters over which the authority has jurisdiction or control.

(c) The written concurrence of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment shall be required for any contracts and other agreements which provide for the sale, utilization, distribution, or consumption, outside of the boundaries of the state of Louisiana, of the waters over which the authority has jurisdiction or control.

(d) In addition, at least two-thirds of the governing authorities of the parishes within the territorial jurisdiction of the authority shall concur before the authority can enter into any contracts or other agreements which provide for the sale, utilization, distribution, or consumption, outside of the boundaries of the state of Louisiana, of the waters over which the authority has jurisdiction or control. However, the concurrence from each of the parish governing authorities shall be by resolution, adopted by a two-thirds vote of the members of each of the parish governing authorities.

(e) The written concurrence of the Water Resources Commission shall be required for any contracts and other agreements which provide for the sale, utilization, distribution, or consumption, outside of the boundaries of the state of Louisiana, of the waters over which the authority has jurisdiction or control.

(17) To establish and maintain a law enforcement division within the Authority in order to provide for the safety and security of the public and to protect the natural resources and the properties and waters within the territory and under the jurisdiction or management of the board of commissioners.

B. Title to all property acquired by the authority shall be taken in its corporate name and shall be held by it as an instrumentality of the State of Louisiana, or title to any such property may be taken jointly with the State of Texas or any instrumentality or agency thereof, including Sabine River Authority of Texas. Any of the powers herein imposed in the authority may be exercised by the authority jointly with the State of Texas or any such instrumentalities or agencies thereof, including said Sabine River Authority of Texas. The authority shall have and be recognized to exercise such authority and power of control and regulation over the waters of the Sabine River and its tributaries as may be exercised by the State of Louisiana, subject to the provisions of the constitution of Louisiana.

Added by Acts 1950, No. 261, §5; Amended by Acts 1956, No. 432, §2; Acts 1985, No. 898, §2; Acts 1985, No. 438, §1; Acts 1992, No. 1088, §1; Acts 1995, No. 495, §1; Acts 2003, No. 295, §1, eff. May 1, 2004; Acts 2005, No. 251, §1, eff. June 29, 2005; Acts 2005, No. 429, §1; Acts 2012, No. 784, §1; Acts 2018, No. 474, §1.

NOTE: SEE R.S. 36:511, AS ENACTED BY ACTS 1998, 1ST EX. SESS., NO. 144, §1.