42-1310. LATERAL DITCHES — REPAIRS, IMPROVEMENTS AND MAINTENANCE BY IRRIGATION DELIVERY ENTITIES. In the event that a water users’ association of lateral or laterals has not been constituted on a particular lateral or distributing ditch pursuant to this chapter, any individual water user taking water from a canal or reservoir to be conveyed to their respective premises for any distance through such lateral or distributing ditch may authorize the irrigation delivery entity providing water to the lateral or ditch to perform any necessary repairs, improvements, or maintenance to the lateral or ditch. The irrigation delivery entity may agree to perform such work only if it has duly adopted a bylaw authorizing such work to be done for its individual water users, or adopts a resolution authorizing the work. In performing such work, the irrigation delivery entity shall have the same rights and privileges to enter the land across which the right-of-way extends, for the purposes of cleaning, maintaining and repairing the lateral or ditch, and to perform such work, as does the individual water user authorizing the work. By performing such work, the irrigation delivery entity does not assume ownership of the lateral or ditch, or responsibility for or incur liability for any injury to person or property caused by an act or omission of the individual water user authorizing the work, or of any other person. When such work has been authorized, the irrigation entity shall assess the individual water user for the annual cost of any necessary repairs, improvements, or maintenance performed on the lateral or ditch, in addition to the assessments that are levied for the delivery of water to the individual water user, and the same provisions shall apply with regard to delinquent assessments as in the case of assessments levied for the delivery of water. Nothing in this section shall affect the authority of a water users’ association of lateral or laterals from assessing its members for work authorized under this chapter.

History:

[42-1310, added 2004, ch. 147, sec. 1, p. 477.]