Water-related easements established in the Mining Code

Abstract

This paper presents an interpretative approach regarding the meaning of article 72 of the Water Code. With the help of the existing opinions of legal scholars and the study of legislative records, the author claims that legislators were actually referring to the right to use public waters that can be requested by the mining concessionary and the owner of the mineral production facilities for the exploration, exploitation or processing of minerals. The origin of article 72 of the Water Code can be traced to article 88 of the Mining Codes of 1930 and 1932, their defective writing being the explanation for the uncertain status of the interests and water-related easement rights of the miner and the mineral production facilities. These deficiencies were not amended with the enactment of the Water Code of 1951. Finally, the author contends that the correct interpretation of article 72 of the Water Code of 1981 should be established taking into account article 111 of the Mining Code of 1983.