{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/5.1-37.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/5.1-37.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/5.1-37.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/5.1-37.html"}],"law_id":366646,"edition_id":2,"section_id":366646,"structure_id":52239,"section_number":"5.1-37","catch_line":"Public waters and submerged lands","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 5-26; 1966, c. 576.","full_text":"The powers herein granted to counties, cities and towns include the power to establish, maintain and operate airports and landing areas and other air navigation facilities in, over and upon any public waters of this Commonwealth, or any submerged land under such public waters, within the limits or jurisdiction of or bordering on such counties, cities or towns.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1365022,"text":"The powers herein granted to counties, cities and towns include the power to establish, maintain and operate airports and landing areas and other air navigation facilities in, over and upon any public waters of this Commonwealth, or any submerged land under such public waters, within the limits or jurisdiction of or bordering on such counties, cities or towns.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":52239,"edition_id":2,"name":"Acquisition, Establishment and Operation Generally; Outside Easements","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":52238,"metadata":{"child_laws":14,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:56:34","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:27:50","permalink":{"id":1460783,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52239,"identifier":"1","token":"5.1\/3\/1","url":"\/5.1\/3\/1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52238,"edition_id":2,"name":"Municipal and County Airports and Other Air Navigation Facilities","identifier":"3","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":4,"parent_id":52221,"metadata":{"child_laws":21,"child_structures":3},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:56:34","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:27:50","permalink":{"id":1460781,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52238,"identifier":"3","token":"5.1\/3","url":"\/5.1\/3\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52221,"edition_id":2,"name":"Aviation","identifier":"5.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":9,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":218,"child_structures":28},"date_created":"2026-08-02 02:56:16","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:27:49","permalink":{"id":1460301,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52221,"identifier":"5.1","token":"5.1","url":"\/5.1\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":366639,"structure_id":52239,"section_number":"5.1-31","catch_line":"Authority to acquire, construct, maintain and operate; permission of Department required","url":"\/5.1-31\/","token":"5.1\/3\/1\/5.1-31","metadata":false},{"id":366640,"structure_id":52239,"section_number":"5.1-32","catch_line":"Easements and privileges outside of airport or landing field boundaries","url":"\/5.1-32\/","token":"5.1\/3\/1\/5.1-32","metadata":false},{"id":366641,"structure_id":52239,"section_number":"5.1-33","catch_line":"Public purpose declared","url":"\/5.1-33\/","token":"5.1\/3\/1\/5.1-33","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"Bowling v. City of Roanoke","case_number":"Civ. A. 81-0481(R)","citation":"568 F. Supp. 446","date":"1983-07-26","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2375480\/bowling-v-city-of-roanoke\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 568 F.Supp. 446 (1983) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, W.D. Virginia"},"1":{"name":"Hillman Flying Service, Inc. v. City of Roanoke","case_number":"Civ. A. 85-1107-R","citation":"652 F. Supp. 1142","date":"1987-01-21","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/2305427\/hillman-flying-service-inc-v-city-of-roanoke\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 652 F.Supp. 1142 (1987) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"District Court, W.D. Virginia"}}}},{"id":366642,"structure_id":52239,"section_number":"5.1-34","catch_line":"Acquisition of property; exercise of right of eminent domain","url":"\/5.1-34\/","token":"5.1\/3\/1\/5.1-34","metadata":false},{"id":366643,"structure_id":52239,"section_number":"5.1-35","catch_line":"Powers may be exercised jointly by two or more political subdivisions","url":"\/5.1-35\/","token":"5.1\/3\/1\/5.1-35","metadata":{"court_decisions":{"0":{"name":"Evans v. Smyth-Wythe Airport Commission","case_number":"Record 970016","citation":"495 S.E.2d 825","date":"1998-01-09","url":"https:\/\/www.courtlistener.com\/opinion\/1059967\/evans-v-smyth-wythe-airport-commission\/","abstract":" .\u202f.\u202f. 495 S.E.2d 825 (1998) .\u202f.\u202f. ","court_html":"<abbr title=\"Supreme Court of Virginia\">SCV<\/abbr>"}}}},{"id":366645,"structure_id":52239,"section_number":"5.1-36","catch_line":"Agreement for joint exercise of powers; governing board, etc., to act on behalf of political subdivisions; powers of board, etc","url":"\/5.1-36\/","token":"5.1\/3\/1\/5.1-36","metadata":false},{"id":366644,"structure_id":52239,"section_number":"5.1-36.1","catch_line":"Contributions by counties to construction of certain airports","url":"\/5.1-36.1\/","token":"5.1\/3\/1\/5.1-36.1","metadata":false},{"id":366646,"structure_id":52239,"section_number":"5.1-37","catch_line":"Public waters and submerged lands","url":"\/5.1-37\/","token":"5.1\/3\/1\/5.1-37","metadata":false},{"id":366647,"structure_id":52239,"section_number":"5.1-38","catch_line":"Right to zone property not limited","url":"\/5.1-38\/","token":"5.1\/3\/1\/5.1-38","metadata":false},{"id":366649,"structure_id":52239,"section_number":"5.1-39","catch_line":"Use, disposal and termination of rights acquired","url":"\/5.1-39\/","token":"5.1\/3\/1\/5.1-39","metadata":false},{"id":366648,"structure_id":52239,"section_number":"5.1-39.1","catch_line":"Use of airport property for industrial development purposes","url":"\/5.1-39.1\/","token":"5.1\/3\/1\/5.1-39.1","metadata":false},{"id":366651,"structure_id":52239,"section_number":"5.1-40","catch_line":"Lease of land acquired; approval by Department","url":"\/5.1-40\/","token":"5.1\/3\/1\/5.1-40","metadata":false},{"id":366653,"structure_id":52239,"section_number":"5.1-41","catch_line":"Operation by local governing body or special officer or board","url":"\/5.1-41\/","token":"5.1\/3\/1\/5.1-41","metadata":false},{"id":366652,"structure_id":52239,"section_number":"5.1-41.1","catch_line":"Local governing bodies authorized to require boarding fee","url":"\/5.1-41.1\/","token":"5.1\/3\/1\/5.1-41.1","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":366644,"structure_id":52239,"section_number":"5.1-36.1","catch_line":"Contributions by counties to construction of certain airports","url":"\/5.1-36.1\/","token":"5.1\/3\/1\/5.1-36.1","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":366647,"structure_id":52239,"section_number":"5.1-38","catch_line":"Right to zone property not limited","url":"\/5.1-38\/","token":"5.1\/3\/1\/5.1-38","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/5.1-37\/","history_text":"<p>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 1966, chapter 576.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":1460813,"object_type":"law","relational_id":366646,"identifier":"5.1-37","token":"5.1\/3\/1\/5.1-37","url":"\/5.1-37\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/5.1-37\/","token":"5.1\/3\/1\/5.1-37","dublin_core":{"Title":"Public waters and submerged lands","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 5.1-37","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section><p>The powers herein granted to counties, cities and towns include the power to establish, maintain and operate <span class=\"dictionary\">airports<\/span> and <span class=\"dictionary\">landing areas<\/span> and other air navigation facilities in, over and upon any public waters of this Commonwealth, or any submerged land under such public waters, within the limits or <span class=\"dictionary\">jurisdiction<\/span> of or bordering on such counties, cities or towns.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":"                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPUBLIC WATERS AND SUBMERGED LANDS (\u00a7 5.1-37)\n\nThe powers herein granted to counties, cities and towns include the power to\nestablish, maintain and operate airports and landing areas and other air\nnavigation facilities in, over and upon any public waters of this Commonwealth,\nor any submerged land under such public waters, within the limits or\njurisdiction of or bordering on such counties, cities or towns.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 5-26; 1966, c. 576.","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"}}