Section 9-9-23 Appointment of District Engineer, Etc.; Preparation, Adoption, Etc., of Report and Water Management Plan for Improvements in District.

(a) Within 60 days after the district is established, it shall be the duty of the board of water management commissioners to appoint as district engineer a competent civil or agricultural engineer of good standing in his profession who is familiar with the type of project involved if said engineer is needed or required by the district. Such services of an engineer may not be required if engineering services are furnished by a federal, state or local agency. (b) In case an engineer is needed or required, it shall be the duty of the court of probate to refer the report of the preliminary survey or other plans to the district engineer, who shall make a survey of the district and shall prepare a report with plans for improvements for the district. Such report shall include maps, profiles, specifications, estimates of cost and other data and descriptions which are necessary to show location and character of the proposed work; provided, that the map or maps shall show the boundary, as closely as may be determined by the records of the tax assessor, of the land owned by each individual landowner within the district, the location of any railroads, public highways, gas lines, power lines and other public utilities and the boundary of any incorporated town or village. Such report shall also contain an accurate description of all lands and other property which may be needed for a right-of-way or for the uses and purposes of the district. In case it is found that the data of any former surveys or other proceedings may be useful for the purposes of the district, the board of water management commissioners may take over and use such data and may pay therefor the amount of its value to the district. The board of water management commissioners and the engineer or the agency furnishing engineering services, in the preparation and adoption of plans, shall consider the best interests of the district and are not bound to follow or adopt the plans that may be outlined in the preliminary report or plans. In case an engineer is employed, he may, at the expense of the district and with the approval of the board of water management commissioners, employ the necessary assistants in making surveys, maps and profiles and may secure the services of a consulting engineer or expert advisor. In case engineering services are being furnished by some organization or agency cooperating with the district, the court shall refer the preliminary report or plans to said organization or agency, which shall prepare plans for the works of improvement for the district. (c) Upon receipt of the final report of the district engineer or final plan from other competent authority concerning the surveys made of the lands and other property in the district organized and plans for treating the same, the board of water management commissioners shall adopt such report or plans with any modification thereof approved by the district engineer or other consultants after consultation. Thereafter such adopted report or plan shall be the plan for draining, leveeing, reclaiming or protecting such lands and other property from overflow or damage by water or for flood prevention or for the conservation, development, utilization and disposal of water, and it shall, after such adoption, be known and designated as the “plan of water management,” which plan shall be filed with the judge of court of probate and incorporated into the records of the district. The committee may file with the board of water management commissioners a statement of any fact or suggestion it deems will be beneficial.