Section 6101.15. Powers of board

In order to accomplish the purposes of the conservancy district, the board of directors of a conservancy district may do the following:

(A) Clean out, straighten, widen, alter, deepen, or change the course or terminus of any ditch, drain, sewer, river, watercourse, pond, lake, creek, or natural or artificial stream located in or out of the district;

(B) Fill up any abandoned or altered ditch, drain, sewer, river, watercourse, pond, lake, creek, or natural or artificial stream, and concentrate, divert, or divide the flow of water in or out of the district;

(C) Construct, acquire, operate, and maintain main and lateral ditches, sewers, canals, levees, dikes, dams, sluices, revetments, reservoirs, holding basins, floodways, wells, intakes, pipe lines, purification works, treatment and disposal works, pumping stations and siphons, and any other works and improvements considered necessary to accomplish the purposes of the district or to construct, preserve, operate, or maintain the works in or out of the district. This chapter does not limit the authority of public corporations to install, maintain, and operate sewerage systems and water-works systems as otherwise permitted by law, but the board shall have full power to require the use of the improvements constructed or acquired by the district for the purpose of water supply or the collection and disposal of sewage and other liquid wastes by the public corporations and persons within the district for which the improvements were installed.

(D) Afforest lands owned by the district;

(E) Install improvements on lands owned or controlled by the district for the proper maintenance of the lands, or for the purpose of preventing or minimizing damage to the works and improvements of the district;

(F) Construct connections to the works of the district for the delivery of a water supply from the works or for the delivery of sewage and other liquid wastes to the works;

(G) Construct or enlarge any bridges that may be needed in or out of the district;

(H) Construct or elevate roadways and streets;

(I) Construct any of the works and improvements across, through, or over any public highway, canal, railroad right of way, track, grade, fill, cut, or other public or private property located in or out of the district;

(J) Remove or change the location of any fence, building, railroad, canal, or other structure or improvement located in or out of the district, but if it is not feasible or economical to move any building, structure, or improvement situated in or upon lands required by the district and if the cost to the district is determined by the board to be less than that of purchase or condemnation, the board may acquire land and construct, acquire, or install buildings, structures, or improvements, similar in purpose, to be exchanged for the aforementioned buildings, structures, or improvements under contracts entered into between the owner of them and the district;

(K) Hold, encumber, control, acquire by donation, purchase, or condemnation, construct, own, lease, use, and sell real and personal property, and any easement, riparian right, railroad right of way, canal, cemetery, sluice, reservoir, holding basin, milldam, water power, wharf, or franchise in or out of the district for right of way, holding basin, location, or protection of works and improvements, relocation of communities and of buildings, structures, and improvements situated on lands required by the district, or any other necessary purpose, or for obtaining or storing material to be used in constructing and maintaining the works and improvements;

(L) Replat or subdivide land, open new roads, streets, and alleys, or change the course of an existing one, and install improvements to replace those in the former roads, streets, or alleys;

(M) Procure insurance against loss to the district by reason of damage to its properties, works, or improvements resulting from fire, theft, accident, or other casualty or by reason of the liability of the district for any damages to persons or property occurring in the operation of the works and improvements of the district or the conduct of its activities;

(N) Conduct on its own or in combination with other entities, water quantity and quality studies and other water monitoring activities that do not conflict with similar studies or activities by other agencies. A written report of the findings of any study or activity, or a copy of it, shall be submitted to the director of environmental protection.

(O) Do all things necessary or incident to the fulfillment of the purposes for which the district is established.

Effective Date: 09-21-2000