Proposed bill would let irrigation districts choose mail elections

An irrigation district board may adopt a procedure for electing directors by mail ballot. The procedure applies to elections other than the first election after a district is created. Eligible voters must be qualified landowners and meet voter qualifications; after district lands are assessed, the land must be assessed. The district pays the direct expenses of the election. The board's resolution sets each elected director's term at two, three, or four years. The procedure could be used for elections in even-numbered or odd-numbered years.

Some water obstructions may be built or changed without the chief engineer's written permit or consent. These exceptions concern water obstructions in designated streams. The bill text defines dams using different height and water-storage thresholds for agricultural and nonagricultural uses. One exception covers a stream change affecting less than five percent of its cross section within a stretch no longer than 25 feet. Another covers a water obstruction that is not a dam, is outside an incorporated area, and is more than 300 feet from property boundaries, when the watershed above it is five square miles or smaller. If only the distance rule is unmet, the chief engineer may grant an exception after finding minimal effects on safety and property based on information from the owner. The engineer may still require a permit to protect life or property.

People and organizations that violate water-structure rules may face a civil penalty of $100 to $500 per violation. This applies to people or organizations that violate the water-structure laws or related rules. For a continuing violation, each notice followed by failure to correct the problem within seven days would count as a separate violation. The chief engineer or an authorized agent must issue a written order before imposing a penalty. A person affected by the order may appeal in district court.