48-3451. Suspension of district functions

A. The board of supervisors may suspend the functions of delivering and distributing irrigation water and of maintaining the ditches, pipe lines and other facilities for delivering irrigation water of any irrigation water delivery district upon application in the same form and by the same procedure as prescribed for dissolution of a district, except that the petition shall state that the purpose of the petitioners is to suspend the functions of delivering water and maintaining water delivery facilities.

B. Before ordering suspension of such functions, the board of supervisors shall ascertain that a hardship will not thereby be worked upon any landowner not a signatory to the petition. The order of the board of supervisors shall state that the functions of the district are suspended until further order of the board.

C. When the functions of a district are suspended by order of the board of supervisors they may be reinstated only upon petition signed by the owners of a majority of the acreage in the district and upon giving notice and opportunity to protest as provided for the organization of a district, or upon petition signed by all landowners in the district.

D. During the suspension of such functions, the district shall possess and may continue to exercise all powers conferred upon it by law which are not suspended by the order of the board of supervisors. If requested in the petition for organization, the powers may be suspended by the order organizing the district, and in such event the district shall not exercise the suspended powers until authorized to do so by order of the board of supervisors made upon majority petition and notice, or upon unanimous petition as provided by this chapter.