{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/62.1-8.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/62.1-8.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/62.1-8.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/62.1-8.html"}],"law_id":375244,"edition_id":2,"section_id":375244,"structure_id":53276,"section_number":"62.1-8","catch_line":"Limitation on power of courts to grant leave to erect dams","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 62-6; 1968, c. 659.","full_text":"Where a watercourse is navigable, or by law declared a public highway, no court shall grant leave to any person to erect in that part of it any dam which will obstruct ordinary navigation or the passage of fish; and where any law has been or shall be enacted for opening, improving or extending the navigation of a watercourse no court shall, while such law is in force, grant leave to any person to erect any dam or other obstruction across or in such watercourse which will in any way interfere with the navigation thereof without express authority of law or the consent of the company incorporated to open, improve or extend such navigation. Any such dam shall, notwithstanding it may be built under such leave, be deemed a nuisance, and may be abated as such, or such company or the Commonwealth may make a lock or locks in such dam for the passage of vessels and boats without being required to make any compensation therefor.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1400821,"text":"Where a watercourse is navigable, or by law declared a public highway, no court shall grant leave to any person to erect in that part of it any dam which will obstruct ordinary navigation or the passage of fish; and where any law has been or shall be enacted for opening, improving or extending the navigation of a watercourse no court shall, while such law is in force, grant leave to any person to erect any dam or other obstruction across or in such watercourse which will in any way interfere with the navigation thereof without express authority of law or the consent of the company incorporated to open, improve or extend such navigation. Any such dam shall, notwithstanding it may be built under such leave, be deemed a nuisance, and may be abated as such, or such company or the Commonwealth may make a lock or locks in such dam for the passage of vessels and boats without being required to make any compensation therefor.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":53276,"edition_id":2,"name":"Watercourses Generally","identifier":"1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":53275,"metadata":{"child_laws":7,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:14:05","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:36:41","permalink":{"id":1495203,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":53276,"identifier":"1","token":"62.1\/1","url":"\/62.1\/1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":53275,"edition_id":2,"name":"Waters of the State, Ports and Harbors","identifier":"62.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":132,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":578,"child_structures":74},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:14:05","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:36:41","permalink":{"id":1495201,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":53275,"identifier":"62.1","token":"62.1","url":"\/62.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":374690,"structure_id":53276,"section_number":"62.1-1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/62.1-1\/","token":"62.1\/1\/62.1-1","metadata":false},{"id":375189,"structure_id":53276,"section_number":"62.1-5","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/62.1-5\/","token":"62.1\/1\/62.1-5","metadata":false},{"id":375190,"structure_id":53276,"section_number":"62.1-6","catch_line":"Clearing watercourses between counties of obstructions","url":"\/62.1-6\/","token":"62.1\/1\/62.1-6","metadata":false},{"id":375231,"structure_id":53276,"section_number":"62.1-7","catch_line":"Rights of improving navigation preserved; dams, etc","url":"\/62.1-7\/","token":"62.1\/1\/62.1-7","metadata":false},{"id":375244,"structure_id":53276,"section_number":"62.1-8","catch_line":"Limitation on power of courts to grant leave to erect dams","url":"\/62.1-8\/","token":"62.1\/1\/62.1-8","metadata":false},{"id":375257,"structure_id":53276,"section_number":"62.1-9","catch_line":"Construction of two preceding sections","url":"\/62.1-9\/","token":"62.1\/1\/62.1-9","metadata":false},{"id":375256,"structure_id":53276,"section_number":"62.1-9.1","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/62.1-9.1\/","token":"62.1\/1\/62.1-9.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":375231,"structure_id":53276,"section_number":"62.1-7","catch_line":"Rights of improving navigation preserved; dams, etc","url":"\/62.1-7\/","token":"62.1\/1\/62.1-7","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":375257,"structure_id":53276,"section_number":"62.1-9","catch_line":"Construction of two preceding sections","url":"\/62.1-9\/","token":"62.1\/1\/62.1-9","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/62.1-8\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 1 time. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. That modification is as follows: in 1968, chapter 659.<\/p>","references":[{"id":375257,"section_number":"62.1-9","catch_line":"Construction of two preceding sections","order_by":null,"url":"\/62.1-9\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1495221,"object_type":"law","relational_id":375244,"identifier":"62.1-8","token":"62.1\/1\/62.1-8","url":"\/62.1-8\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/62.1-8\/","token":"62.1\/1\/62.1-8","dublin_core":{"Title":"Limitation on power of courts to grant leave to erect dams","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 62.1-8","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Where a watercourse is navigable, or by law<\/span> declared a public highway, no court<\/span> shall grant leave to any person to erect in that part of it any dam which will obstruct ordinary navigation or the passage of fish; and where any law<\/span> has been or shall be enacted for opening, improving or extending the navigation of a watercourse no court<\/span> shall, while such law<\/span> is in force, grant leave to any person to erect any dam or other obstruction across or in such watercourse which will in any way interfere with the navigation thereof without express authority of law<\/span> or the consent of the company incorporated to open, improve or extend such navigation. Any such dam shall, notwithstanding it may be built under such leave, be deemed a nuisance, and may be abated as such, or such company or the Commonwealth may make a lock or locks in such dam for the passage of vessels and boats without being required to make any compensation therefor.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nLIMITATION ON POWER OF COURTS TO GRANT LEAVE TO ERECT DAMS (\u00a7 62.1-8)\n\nWhere a watercourse is navigable, or by law declared a public highway, no court\nshall grant leave to any person to erect in that part of it any dam which will\nobstruct ordinary navigation or the passage of fish; and where any law has been\nor shall be enacted for opening, improving or extending the navigation of a\nwatercourse no court shall, while such law is in force, grant leave to any\nperson to erect any dam or other obstruction across or in such watercourse which\nwill in any way interfere with the navigation thereof without express authority\nof law or the consent of the company incorporated to open, improve or extend\nsuch navigation. Any such dam shall, notwithstanding it may be built under such\nleave, be deemed a nuisance, and may be abated as such, or such company or the\nCommonwealth may make a lock or locks in such dam for the passage of vessels and\nboats without being required to make any compensation therefor.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 62-6; 1968, c. 659.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}