Title 9 — Title 9

Proper management of the watersheds of the state is necessary to insure the health, safety and welfare of our citizens. Improper land use and water use practices upon our watersheds have caused or contributed to and will continue to cause and contribute to critical flooding, eros…

If an original director who is required to reside in a particular county is to be selected by means of an election, the board of supervisors who determined that an election would be the method of selection shall call the election. Said election shall be held, within 30 days after…

The successor of a director who must reside in a particular county shall be either elected or appointed. The method of selection shall be determined by the board of supervisors who determined the method of selecting the incumbent director whose term is expiring. The method of sel…

Meetings; Position Vacated Due to Absences; Records. (a) The board of directors of the watershed management authority shall annually elect from its membership a chairman, secretary and treasurer. The treasurer shall execute an official bond for the faithful performance of the dut…

Members of the board of directors shall receive no salaries but may be reimbursed by the authority for actual and necessary expenditures incurred in the performance of their duties. History: (Acts 1991, No. 91-602, p. 1119, §13.)

The board of directors of a watershed management authority shall have power to: (1) Acquire, by purchase, gift, grant, bequest or devise, or through condemnation proceedings held in the manner provided by Chapter 1A of Title 18, such lands or rights-of-way as are necessary for th…

Bonds authorized by Section 9-10A-14 shall not be issued until proposed by order or resolution of the board of directors of the watershed management authority specifying the purpose for which the funds are to be used and the proposed undertaking, the amount of bonds to be issued …

(a) At any time, a watershed management authority’s board of directors may file a petition with the Secretary of State, the joint boards of supervisors who authorized the establishment of the authority and the State Soil and Water Conservation Committee praying that the existence…

Every watershed management authority established under the authority of this chapter shall be subject to audits by the state Examiners of Public Accounts. History: (Acts 1991, No. 91-602, p. 1119, §17.)

Officers and employees of a watershed management authority established pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to the State Ethics Law. Members of the board of directors of a watershed management authority for the purposes of Chapter 25 of Title 36, shall be c…

(a) Any person who is regularly employed by a watershed management authority established pursuant to this chapter shall be deemed to be an “employee” of the State of Alabama, as defined in Section 36-27-1. From the date he assumes his duties, any such person shall be deemed to be…

For the purposes of this chapter, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings indicated unless the context clearly indicates a different meaning: (1) WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY. A governmental subdivision of this state and a public body, corporate and politic, org…

(a) Full-time employees of a watershed management authority shall be included in the definitions of “employee” as provided in Section 36-29-1(1), and shall be entitled to the same health insurance benefits and required to make the same contributions as other state employees. The …

Every watershed management authority established pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be considered a state authority for the purposes of applying the provisions of Chapter 16 of Title 41, regarding competitive bidding on public contracts. History: (Acts 1991, No. 91-…

The property and interests acquired by any watershed management authority organized under the provisions of this chapter shall be exempt from all state, county or other taxation. History: (Acts 1991, No. 91-602, p. 1119, §22.)

Watershed management authorities may be formed in any watershed area of the state for the purpose of developing and executing plans and programs relating to any phase of conservation of water, water usage, flood prevention, flood control, water pollution control, wildlife habitat…

Any management guidelines developed by watershed management authorities to protect forested watersheds shall follow the best management practices established by the Alabama Forestry Commission as they pertain to forested watersheds. History: (Acts 1991, No. 91-602, p. 1119, §4.)

The land area embraced in any watershed management authority must encompass at least 50 square miles, must be contiguous and must lie within a defined watershed. The area may include lands within any soil and water conservation district. Such authorities may embrace lands lying i…

When 25 or more residents, who are 18 years of age or older, within each county located on a defined watershed desire to form a watershed management authority, said residents shall file a petition with the board of supervisors of the soil and water conservation district in which …

Multiple Conservation Districts. If the proposed watershed management authority lies in more than one soil and water conservation district, the petition shall be presented to the board of supervisors of all such soil and water conservation districts, and the supervisors of all su…

Determination. (a) Within 30 days after said petition has been filed with the board of supervisors, it shall cause due notice to be given of a proposed hearing upon the practicability and feasibility of creating said watershed management authority. All interested parties shall ha…

If the board of supervisors determines the authority is needed, it shall determine the number of directors who shall comprise the board of directors of the watershed management authority. The board of directors of the watershed management authority shall include at least one resi…