(a) When a small watershed project is instituted under the sponsorship of a duly constituted district alone or under cosponsorship with any political subdivision of this state and is approved by the state and federal governments for construction thereof, and when, as a condition precedent to the exercise of the rights conferred in this Code section, 90 percent or more of the separate property owners have gratuitously given in writing and delivered to such district the necessary easements and land rights, for the purpose of the small watershed project, and when the governing board of the district finds that it cannot acquire by voluntary contract the remaining necessary easements and land rights, the sponsoring district, upon such showing incorporated in a condemnation proceeding, is granted the right of eminent domain for the purpose of acquiring the remaining necessary easements and land rights to enable it to accomplish the completion of the small watershed project.

(b) Upon compliance with the conditions precedent set forth in subsection (a) of this Code section, a district may proceed to condemn such land in accordance with the procedure set forth by Code Sections 22-2-130 through 22-2-142 and other pertinent eminent domain statutes to acquire the remaining easements and land rights necessary. In any such proceeding, the condemnor shall be required to condemn the fee simple title to all land not otherwise acquired which will be covered by permanent ponding or permanent flooding. The condemnor shall tender to the condemnee the full sum awarded in the condemnation proceedings or shall pay the same into court, in the event of the refusal of the condemnee to accept the same, before entering upon, occupying, or subjecting to its use, by flooding or otherwise, any part of the lands or rights in land sought to be condemned.