The board of directors of an irrigation district shall: 1. Manage and conduct the business affairs of the district. 2. Make and execute all necessary contracts. 3. Employ such officers, agents, and employees as may be necessary to conduct efficiently the business of the district and to fix their compensation. 4. Adopt a seal for the district. The seal shall be kept in the custody of the secretary. 5. Establish bylaws and rules for distribution to and for the information of electors of the district and water users, and fix charges or rentals to be paid by water users. The bylaws and rules shall be printed in convenient form. 6. Enter upon any land within the district to make surveys and to locate the main lines and the necessary branches for any canals, pipelines, or other conveyance systems, and maintain and keep in good repair the irrigation works within the district. Its agents and employees shall have the same right. 7. Acquire by purchase, condemnation in accordance with chapter 32-15, or otherwise: a. Rights of way for ditches, canals, pipelines, and other conveyance systems and sites for dams and reservoirs, wells and well fields, and other works for the appropriation of ground and surface water, and for pumping plants. b. All lands, easements, and any and all property necessary for the construction, use, maintenance, repair, and improvement of dams, reservoirs, wells and well fields, and other works for the appropriation of ground and surface water, and canals, pipelines, and other conveyance systems. c. Electric powerlines for the conveyance of electric power to operate pumping plants and all necessary appurtenances thereto.
d. Water rights, but the board shall be required to offer an alternative water supply of equal quantity and comparable quality, either through the district works or otherwise, to the holder of any water rights which have been condemned. 8. Subject to the limitations contained in this chapter and chapter 32-15, acquire by purchase, condemnation, or otherwise, any existing irrigation works for the use of the district. 9. Submit, whenever the board shall deem it advisable, to the electors of the district, at any regular or special election, any question, proposition, or proposal relative to the affairs of the district. 10. Accept, on behalf of the district, appointment of the district as fiscal agent of the United States, or of any department or agency thereof, or authorization by the United States, or of any department or agency thereof, to make collections of money for and on behalf of the United States in connection with any federal reclamation or irrigation project. The board shall have full power to do any and all things required by the rules established by any such department or agency of the federal government relative to such project. 11. Subject to the limitations provided in this title, determine a plan or method for raising funds to finance the cost of constructing irrigation works within the district or to provide funds for the purchase of such irrigation works. The plan may provide for the issuance of bonds, or the issuance of district improvement warrants, or the payment of such construction costs, or purchase price, by creating a fund obtained from water rentals or charges to water users, or for a combination of such methods for raising funds. 12. Exercise all rights, powers, and authority, express or implied, that may be necessary to do and perform and carry out all of the express purposes of this chapter and of all purposes reasonably implied as incidental thereto. 13. Enter into contracts and leases as the board determines appropriate with the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District; the water commission of North Dakota; or with the United States of America, its instrumentalities, departments, or agencies, for the purpose of financing the construction of any irrigation works authorized by law, and in such contracts and leases may authorize the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District; the commission; or the United States, its instrumentalities, departments, or agencies, as the case may be, to supervise and approve the construction, maintenance, and operation of such irrigation works, or any part or portion thereof, until such times as any money expended, advanced, or loaned by the commission or by the United States, its instrumentalities, departments, or agencies, and agreed to be repaid thereto by said board, shall have been repaid fully. The board may accept cooperation from the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District; the commission; or from the United States, its instrumentalities, departments, and agencies, in the construction, maintenance, and operation, and in financing the construction of any work authorized by the board. The board shall have full power to do any and all things necessary to avail itself of such aid, assistance, and cooperation under existing or future state laws or federal legislation enacted by the Congress of the United States. 14. Acquire real property, buildings, improvements, and equipment used or useful in connection with storing, warehousing, distributing, or selling agricultural products, which may be located within or outside the district.
61-07-04. Construction across streams, highways, railroads, and ditches - Right of way. The board may construct irrigation works across any stream of water, watercourse, street, avenue, highway, railway, canal, ditch, flume, pipeline, or other transportation system or utility, which the route of any canal may intersect or cross in such manner as to afford security for life and property, but the board shall restore the same, when so crossed or intersected, to its former state as near as may be, or in a manner sufficient to avoid unnecessary impairment of its usefulness. Every company whose railroad or utility shall be intersected or crossed by such works shall unite with the board in forming such intersections and crossings, and shall grant the privilege aforesaid. If the board cannot agree with such railroad company, or with the owners
and controllers of the property, thing, or franchise to be crossed, upon the amount to be paid on account of such crossing or the point at which or the manner in which the crossing shall be made, the same shall be ascertained and determined in all respects as is provided for the taking of land. The right of way is given, dedicated, and set apart, to locate, construct, and maintain such works over and through any of the lands which are or may be the property of the state. There are given, dedicated, and set apart, for the uses and purposes provided in this chapter, all water and water rights owned by this state within the district.