243.020. County commission authorized to organize drainage districts. - Missouri Statutes

County commission authorized to organize drainage districts.

243.020. 1. When it shall be conducive to the publichealth, convenience or public welfare, or when it will be ofpublic utility or benefit, the county commission of any county inthis state shall have the authority to organize, incorporate andestablish drainage districts and to cause to be constructed,straightened, widened, altered or deepened, any ditch, drain,natural stream (not navigable), bank protection, current control,or watercourse, when the same is necessary to drain or protectany land or other property.

2. The petition for any such improvement shall be held toinclude any side, lateral, spur, or branch ditch, drain,watercourse, or levee, the lowering of any lake, the protectionof the banks of an adjacent stream from wash, cutting or erosionor any other work necessary to secure fully the object of theimprovement, petitioned for, whether the same is mentioned insuch petition or not. The commission may establish any suchside, lateral, spur or branch ditch when the main ditch isestablished, or at any time thereafter, and the commission shallrequire that proper compensation be given the main ditch districtfor the outlet afforded such lateral, side, spur or branch ditch;provided, that in the event any work is to be done upon anynavigable stream, the consent of the federal government shall beobtained to make such improvement or improvements before theactual work on the improvement shall be begun.

(RSMo 1939 §§ 12398, 12452, A. 1949 S.B. 1083)

Prior revisions: 1929 §§ 10809, 10862; 1919 §§ 4477, 4529; 1909 §§ 5578, 5615