[ULPIANUS libro sexagensimo octauo ad edictum. ] §43.13.1.prAit praetor: 'In flumine publico inue ripa eius facere aut in id flumen ripamue eius immittere, quo aliter aqua fluat, quam priore aestate fluxit, ueto'. §43.13.1.1Hoc interdicto prospexit praetor, ne deriuationibus minus concessis flumina excrescant uel mutatus alueus uicinis iniuriam aliquam adferat.
[ULPIAN on the Edict, Book 68] The praetor says: "I forbid anything to be done in a public river or on its bank, or to be discharged into that river or onto its bank, which causes the water to flow otherwise than it flowed in the previous summer." By this interdict, the praetor provided that rivers should not overflow due to unauthorized diversions, and that a change in the riverbed should not cause any injury to the neighbors.
§43.13.1.2Pertinet autem ad flumina publica, siue nauigabilia sunt siue non sunt.
Moreover, it applies to public rivers, whether they are navigable or not.
§43.13.1.3Ait praetor: 'quo aliter aqua fluat, quam priore aestate fluxit': non omnis ergo, qui immisit uel qui fecit, tenetur, sed qui faciendo uel immittendo efficit aliter, quam priore aestate fluxit, aquam fluere.
The praetor says: "which causes the water to flow otherwise than it flowed in the previous summer"; therefore, not everyone who has discharged or done something is held liable, but only he who, by doing or discharging, causes the water to flow otherwise than it flowed in the previous summer.
quod autem ait 'aliter fluat', non ad quantitatem aquae fluentis pertinet, sed ad modum et ad rigorem cursus aquae referendum est.
Furthermore, when he says "flows otherwise," this does not refer to the quantity of the flowing water, but must be referred to the manner and the direction of its course.
et generaliter dicendum est ita demum interdicto quem teneri, si mutetur aquae cursus per hoc quod factum est, dum uel depressior uel artior fiat aqua ac per hoc rapidior fit cum incommodo accolentium: et si quod aliud uitii accolae ex facto eius qui conuenitur sentient, interdicto locus erit.
And generally, it must be said that a person is held liable under the interdict only if the course of the water is changed by what was done, so long as the water becomes either shallower or narrower, and thereby more rapid, to the inconvenience of the neighbors; and if the neighbors suffer any other disadvantage from the act of the person summoned, there will be room for the interdict.
§43.13.1.4Si quis ex riuo tecto per apertum ducere uelit uel contra qui ante aperto duxit, nunc operto uelit, interdicto teneri placuit, si modo hoc factum eius incommodum circa colentibus adferat.
If anyone wishes to conduct water from a covered channel through an open one, or conversely, if one who previously conducted it through an open one now wishes to do so through a covered one, it has been decided that he is held liable under the interdict, provided that this act of his causes inconvenience to the surrounding cultivators.
§43.13.1.5Simili modo et si incile ducat aut alio loco faciat aut si alueum fluminis mutet, hoc interdicto tenebitur.
In like manner, if he should construct a ditch or make it in another place, or if he should change the bed of the river, he will be held liable under this interdict.
§43.13.1.6Sunt qui putent excipiendum hoc interdicto 'quod eius ripae muniendae causa non fiet', scilicet ut, si quid fiat, quo aliter aqua fluat, si tamen muniendae ripae causa fiat, interdicto locus non sit.
There are some who think that there should be excepted from this interdict "what is not done for the purpose of protecting its bank," namely, so that if anything is done which causes the water to flow otherwise, but it is done for the purpose of protecting the bank, there is no room for the interdict.
sed nec hoc quibusdam placet: neque enim ripae cum incommodo accolentium muniendae sunt.
But this does not please some; for banks ought not to be protected to the inconvenience of the neighbors.
hoc tamen iure utimur, ut praetor ex causa aestimet, an hanc exceptionem dare debeat: plerumque enim utilitas suadet exceptionem istam dari.
We use this law, however, that the praetor estimates from the circumstances whether he ought to grant this exception; for in most cases, utility suggests that this exception should be granted.
§43.13.1.7Sed et si alia utilitas uertatur eius, qui quid in flumine publico fecit (pone enim grande damnum flumen ei dare solitum, praedia eius depopulari), si forte aggeres uel quam aliam munitionem adhibuit, ut agrum suum tueretur eaque res cursum fluminis ad aliquid immutauit, cur ei non consulatur? plerosque scio prorsus flumina auertisse alueosque mutasse, dum praediis suis consulunt.
But even if another utility is involved for the one who did something in a public river (for suppose that the river was accustomed to cause great damage to him, and to ravage his estates), if perhaps he has applied dikes or some other protection to defend his land, and that thing has somewhat changed the course of the river, why should his interest not be consulted? I know that many have completely diverted rivers and changed their beds while consulting the interests of their estates.
oportet enim in huiusmodi rebus utilitatem et tutelam facientis spectari, sine iniuria utique accolarum.
For in matters of this kind, the utility and protection of the actor ought to be regarded, provided always that there is no injury to the neighbors.
§43.13.1.8Is autem hoc interdicto tenetur, qui aliter fecit fluere, quam priore aestate fluxit.
Now, he is held liable under this interdict who has caused the water to flow otherwise than it flowed in the previous summer.
et idcirco aiunt praetorem priorem aestatem comprehendisse, quia semper certior est naturalis cursus fluminum aestate potius quam hieme.
And therefore they say that the praetor included the previous summer because the natural course of rivers is always more certain in summer than in winter.
nec ad instantem aestatem, sed ad priorem interdictum hoc refertur, quia illius aestatis fluxus indubitatior est.
Nor does this interdict refer to the immediate summer, but to the previous one, because the flow of that summer is more indubitable.
aestas ad aequinoctium autumnale refertur.
Summer is referred to the autumn equinox.
et si forte aestate interdicetur, proxima superior aestas erit intuenda: si uero hieme, tunc non proxima hieme aestas, sed superior erit inspicienda.
And if by chance the interdict is issued in summer, the nearest preceding summer will have to be regarded; but if in winter, then not the summer immediately preceding the winter, but the one before that must be inspected.
§43.13.1.9Hoc interdictum cuiuis ex populo competit, sed non aduersus omnes, uerum aduersus eum, qui deneget, ut aliter aqua flueret, cum ius non haberet.
This interdict is open to anyone of the public, but not against everyone, but against him who, when he has no right, refuses to allow the restoration so that the water flows otherwise.
§43.13.1.10Hoc interdictum et in heredes competit.
This interdict also lies against heirs.
§43.13.1.11Deinde ait praetor: 'Quod in flumine publico ripaue eius factum siue quid in flumen ripamue eius immissum habes, si ob id aliter aqua fluit atque uti priore aestate fluxit, restituas'. §43.13.1.12Hoc interdictum restitutorium proponitur: superius enim prohibitorium est et pertinet ad ea, quae nondum facta sunt.
Then the praetor says: "What you have done in a public river or on its bank, or whatever you have discharged into that river or onto its bank, if because of it the water flows otherwise than it flowed in the previous summer, you shall restore it." This interdict is proposed as restoratory; for the former is prohibitory and pertains to those things which have not yet been done.
si quid igitur iam factum est, per hoc interdictum restituetur: si quid ne fiat prospicitur, superiore interdicto erit utendum, et si quid post interdictum redditum fuerit factum, coercebitur.
If, therefore, anything has already been done, it will be restored by this interdict; if provision is made that something should not be done, the former interdict must be used, and if anything is done after the interdict has been granted, it will be punished.
§43.13.1.13In hoc interdicto restitutorio non est iniquum, ut Labeo ait, uenire etiam, quod dolo factum est quo minus haberes.
In this restoratory interdict, as Labeo says, it is not unjust that what was done by fraud, whereby you ceased to have possession, should also be included.