18-4308. CHANGE OF DITCH, CANAL, LATERAL, DRAIN OR BURIED IRRIGATION CONDUIT. Where any ditch, canal, lateral or drain has heretofore been, or may hereafter be, constructed across or beneath the lands of another, the person or persons owning or controlling the said land, shall have the right at his own expense to change said ditch, canal, lateral, drain or buried irrigation conduit to any other part of said land, but such change must be made in such a manner as not to impede the flow of the water therein, or to otherwise injure any person or persons using or interested in such ditch, canal, lateral, drain or buried irrigation conduit. Any increased operation and maintenance shall be the responsibility of the landowner who makes the change.

A landowner shall also have the right to bury the ditch, canal, lateral or drain of another in pipe on the landowner’s property, provided that the pipe, installation and backfill reasonably meet standard specifications for such materials and construction, as set forth in the Idaho standards for public works construction or other standards recognized by the city or county in which the burying is to be done. The right and responsibility for operation and maintenance shall remain with the owner of the ditch, canal, lateral or drain, but the landowner shall be responsible for any increased operation and maintenance costs, including rehabilitation and replacement, unless otherwise agreed in writing with the owner.

The written permission of the owner of a ditch, canal, lateral, drain or buried irrigation conduit must first be obtained before it is changed or placed in buried pipe by the landowner.

While the owner of a ditch, canal, lateral, drain or buried irrigation conduit shall have no right to relocate it on the property of another without permission, a ditch, canal, lateral or drain owner shall have the right to place it in a buried conduit within the easement or right-of-way on the property of another in accordance with standard specifications for pipe, materials, installation and backfill, as set forth in the Idaho standards for public works construction or other standards recognized by the city or county in which the burying is to be done, and so long as the pipe and the construction is accomplished in a manner that the surface of the owner’s property and the owner’s use thereof is not disrupted and is restored to the condition of adjacent property as expeditiously as possible, but no longer than thirty (30) days after the completion of construction. A landowner shall have the right to direct that the conduit be relocated to a different route than the route of the ditch, canal, lateral or drain, provided that the landowner shall agree in writing to be responsible for any increased construction or future maintenance costs necessitated by said relocation. Maintenance of the buried conduit shall be the responsibility of the conduit owner.

Any person or persons who relocate or bury a ditch, canal, lateral or drain contrary to the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

History:

[18-4308, added 1972, ch. 336, sec. 1, p. 934; am. 1994, ch. 151, sec. 2, p. 346; am. 2000, ch. 355, sec. 1, p. 1190; am. 2002, ch. 115, sec. 3, p. 327; am. 2005, ch. 331, sec. 2, p. 1040.]