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HomeWater CodeDiv. 5Pt. 4Ch. 3Art. 1§ 8590 Drainage District Flood Control

§ 8590 Drainage District Flood Control

Water Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 8590 Drainage District Flood Control

Key Takeaways

  • •The board can buy or take land and property needed for flood control projects, like canals or levees.
  • •They can build and maintain things like ditches, canals, and pumping plants to manage water and prevent flooding.
  • •If their work damages someone's property, they can make deals to pay for the damage.
  • •They can work with other government groups to manage floods while also protecting nature or farmland.

Example

A town often floods when it rains a lot. The board decides to build a new canal to redirect the water.

The board can buy the land needed for the canal, build it, and keep it working. If building the canal accidentally floods a nearby farm, the board can agree to pay the farmer for the damage.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 8590 Drainage District Flood Control

To carry out the primary state interest described in Section 8532, the board may do any of the following: (a) Acquire either within or outside the boundaries of the drainage district, by purchase, condemnation or by other lawful means in the name of the drainage district, all lands, rights-of-way, easements, property or material necessary or requisite for the purpose of bypasses, weirs, cuts, canals, sumps, levees, overflow channels and basins, reservoirs and other flood control works, and other necessary purposes, including drainage purposes. (b) Construct, clear, and maintain bypasses, levees, canals, sumps, overflow channels and basins, reservoirs and other flood control works. (c) Construct, maintain, and operate ditches, canals, pumping plants, and other drainage works. (d) Make contracts in the name of the drainage district to indemnify or compensate any owner of land or other property for any injury or damage caused by the exercise of the powers conferred by this division, or arising out of the use, taking, or damage of any property for any of the purposes of this division. (e) Collaborate with state and federal agencies, if appropriate, regarding multiobjective flood management strategies that incorporate agricultural conservation, ecosystem protection and restoration, or recreational components. (Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 366, Sec. 20. Effective January 1, 2008.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

flood control worksdrainage purposesmultiobjective flood management strategies

Related Statutes

  • § 8598 Levee Standards And Water Control
  • § 8600.5 Local Flood Control Standards
  • § 8608 Levee And Flood Control Standards
  • § 10620 Urban Water Management Plans
  • § 10621 Urban Water Supplier Plan Updates

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Water Code. Section 8590.
View Official Source