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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>82773</law_id><section_number>28.2-628</section_number><catch_line>Condemnation of oyster bottoms and grounds</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>15.2-1902</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="28.2">Fisheries and Habitat of the Tidal Waters</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Tidal Fisheries</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="6">Planting Grounds</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="3">Assignment, Transfer, Condemnation; Other Grounds</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The Department of Transportation and any locality shall have the right by eminent domain, to acquire any right or interest, partial or complete, in and to any oyster bottoms, oyster-planting grounds, or interest therein necessary for the purpose of such Department or locality. The procedure in such cases shall conform to the provisions of Chapter 3 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/25.1-300/">25.1-300</a> et seq.) of Title 25.1. However, a locality shall not exercise the right by eminent domain to acquire any right or interest, partial or complete, in and to any oyster-planting grounds leased pursuant to Article 1 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Riparian planting ground assignments; eligibility; fee" href="/28.2-600/">28.2-600</a> et seq.) or 2 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="General oyster planting grounds" href="/28.2-603/">28.2-603</a> et seq.) of Chapter 6, other than a water-dependent linear wastewater project where there is no practical alternative and the project is subject to permitting under the State Water Control <span class="dictionary">Law</span> (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Short title; purpose" href="/62.1-44.2/">62.1-44.2</a> et seq.).
		The Department of Conservation and Recreation shall have the same right of eminent domain against the same properties as previously described, where the purpose of the condemnation is to provide for a navigational improvement benefiting the Commonwealth and not limited to purposes of any particular locality.</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 28-122.1; 1950, p. 92; 1962, c. 406, &#xA7; 28.1-115; 1989, c. 656; 1992, c. 836; 2003, c. 940; 2014, cc. 162, 591.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
