24-1202. Definitions. The following terms when used in this act shall be construed to have the meaning ascribed to them in this section:

(a) "Person" shall mean any person, firm, partnership, association or corporation;

(b) "publication" shall mean the publication in a newspaper or newspapers admitted to the United States mail as second-class matter, of general circulation within the watershed district;

(c) "land" shall mean real property as that term is defined by the laws of the state of Kansas, and shall include any road, highway, bridge, street or other right-of-way;

(d) "chief engineer" shall mean the chief engineer of the division of water resources of the Kansas department of agriculture;

(e) "board" shall mean the board of directors of a watershed district;

(f) "district" shall mean an area comprising a watershed or two or more adjoining watersheds exclusive of lands within other organized watershed districts for which organization is proposed or which has been organized under the provisions of article 12 of chapter 24 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto. The district shall not include the territorial limits of any incorporated city unless the petition circulated and filed as provided for in article 12 of chapter 24 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto, shall clearly indicate that the territory of such a city is to be included in such watershed district;

(g) "specific project" means any project outlined and proposed by the directors and may constitute all or part of a general plan;

(h) "watershed" shall mean all of the area within the state draining toward a selected point on any watercourse, stream, lake or depression;

(i) "subwatershed" shall mean a division of the district as nearly equal in size to other divisions of the district as feasible and including as nearly as practicable one or more tributaries to the main stream which drains from the district;

(j) "qualified voter" shall mean any qualified elector of the district and any person 18 years of age or over owning land within the district, although not a resident therein;

(k) "landowner" shall mean the record owner of the fee in any real estate in the district or the fee in the surface rights of any real estate in the district, but the owners of an oil and gas lease, mineral rights or interest, easements or mortgages as such shall not be considered landowners, and school districts, cemetery associations and municipal corporations shall not be considered landowners;

(l) "steering committee" shall be the group of qualified voters, not less than the number to be chosen for the board of directors, who shall serve as the governing body of the proposed watershed district until the first board of directors is elected;

(m) "general plan" shall mean a preliminary engineering report describing the characteristics of the district, the nature and methods of dealing with the soil and water problems within the district, and the projects proposed to be undertaken by the district. It shall include maps, descriptions and such other data as may be necessary for the location, identification and establishment of the character of the work to be undertaken and such other data and information as the chief engineer may require.

History: L. 1953, ch. 477, § 2; L. 1955, ch. 201, § 1; L. 1959, ch. 172, § 1; L. 1961, ch. 193, § 1; L. 1972, ch. 124, § 4; L. 2004, ch. 101, § 73; July 1.