Opinion Number

Dear Mr. Fincher:

You have requested an opinion from this Office regarding the authority of the Claiborne Parish Watershed District Commission's (Commission) authority to permit certain uses of waters, both surface and subsurface. With regard to surface water withdrawals, you seek clarification of the Commission's authority to sell large volumes of water from (a) Lake Claiborne; (b) any tributary to Lake Claiborne; and, (c) any parish stream outside of the Kisatchie National Forest.

You also ask the following questions with regard to withdrawal of groundwater for new commercial uses:

1) Are…