Opinion Number

Dear Mayor Villere:

You have requested an opinion regarding the legality of the City of Covington annexing property across the Bogue Falaya River from the City of Covington proper.

You point out that the portion of the river along this boundary is navigable and thus, presumably, State-owned.

You ask whether the provisions of La. R.S. 33:180 apply to this situation, i.e., annexation of property across a navigable river from a municipality, and whether the public body owning the river must petition for such action. It should be noted that while a municipality may utilize a public road as a…