Oregon Law
Law as of Jan 1, 2026
Chapter contents
547.005Authority to form drainage district 547.010Petition to form district; contents 547.015Verification and filing of petition 547.020Fixing time and place of hearing; notice; jurisdiction over district 547.025Filing of objections 547.030Evidence at hearing; findings; appeal 547.035[Repealed by 1975 c.326 §5] 547.040Application of Act of 1915 and amendments to districts organized under earlier laws 547.045Public lands within district; authority to sign petition or objections; liability of lands; assessments 547.050Signing of petition by Governor 547.055Attack on validity or boundaries of district; time for commencement of suit 547.057Drainage district activity as urban service 547.060Scope of Drainage District Act 547.063Definitions 547.065Public hearing required 547.067Powers of drainage district 547.069Formation of drainage district by owners of certain lands permitted 547.071Powers of drainage district officers and employees 547.073Powers of board of supervisors 547.075Contracts with federal government permitted 547.077Powers of boards of supervisors west of the Cascade Mountains 547.079Clogged or obstructed conditions; notice to owner or occupant 547.081Repair of clogged or obstructed condition 547.083Owner or occupant liable for repair expense; notice and recordation of lien 547.105Election of supervisors; qualifications and terms of office; quorum for transaction of business at owners’ meetings 547.110Annual meeting; election of supervisors; owners entitled to vote 547.112Change in number of supervisors 547.115Supervisor’s oath of office 547.120Board of supervisors; officers; secretary; seal; record of proceedings; report 547.125Secretary as treasurer; duties; audit of books and report to landowners; compensation 547.130Record of meetings, proceedings, certificates, bonds, acts 547.135Removal of employees 547.140Uniform charge to pay expenses of organizing district, surveys, assessing benefits and damages; collection; surplus funds; refunding in case of dissolution 547.145[Repealed by 1969 c.345 §20] 547.150Payment of claims; warrants; nonpayment; interest-bearing warrants; charge or levy of tax to pay 547.205Appointment of engineer; duties; surveys; report; maps 547.210Engineer’s report; adoption by supervisors; report constitutes “Plan for Reclamation”; exclusion of lands not benefited; certain irrigated lands deemed to be benefited 547.215Commissioners; appointment; qualifications; quorum; continuing existence 547.220Notice of appointment of commissioners; meeting; secretary of board of supervisors to furnish certain information; oath; officers 547.225Assessment of benefits and damages by commissioners; report; compensation 547.230Notice of report of commissioners; publication; form 547.235Exceptions to report or assessment; hearing by court; modifications; transmission of judgment and report to supervisors and county clerks; appeal from judgment 547.240Dissolution of district if cost exceeds benefits; obligations and expenses; additional charges 547.245Reassessment of benefits 547.250Changes in plan for reclamation; petition for amendment of plan; notice 547.255Objections to petition; findings; judgment; recording 547.260Appointment of commissioners when plan amended; subsequent proceedings; court costs 547.265Amendment of plan where works or charge insufficient; additional charge 547.305Entry on land; acquisition of property; water filings and appropriations; condemnation of property devoted to public use; right of way across state lands 547.310Board authority regarding reclamation works; contracts; engineer’s duties 547.315Connecting existing improvements; procedure; connection with improvements outside district 547.320Powers of districts regarding irrigation works; bonds 547.325Powers of districts under 1,000 acres regarding domestic water supply 547.355Contracts with United States for reclamation by drainage or irrigation authorized 547.360Payment of amounts due; assessments on lands; lien thereof; collection 547.405Districts west of Cascades; control of supervisors over improvements 547.410Maintaining improvements; notice to owner or occupant of premises 547.415Failure of owner or occupant to act; maintenance by supervisors 547.420Liability for cost of work; notice of claim of lien; foreclosure; sale of land 547.425Prohibited practices 547.430Civil liability for expense of removal of filth or obstruction; recovery by action 547.455Annual charge or assessment; computation; apportionment; liability of state lands; payment of assessments by bonds, coupons or warrants 547.460County, city and town lands subject to taxation, assessment or charges 547.465Assessment or charge of low lands used for growing crops 547.470Extra assessment or charge for lake drainage 547.475List of assessments and apportionments 547.480Collection of tax; disposition 547.482Filing boundary change with county assessor and Department of Revenue 547.485Governing body of county to make assessment and levy upon failure of supervisors to do so 547.490Waiver of penalty or interest by certain districts 547.492Alternative charge or assessment method 547.495Crops bound by lien; exceptions 547.500Notice or claim of crop lien; filing; contents 547.505Recording of crop lien claim by clerk; indexing 547.510Form of crop lien claim; foreclosure 547.515Removal of crops to another county; recording of notice in latter county; rights of purchasers and mortgagees 547.520[Repealed by 1989 c.182 §49] 547.555Bonds; issuance; interest; place of payment; maturities 547.560Sale of bonds; procedure 547.565Payment of bonds from assessments 547.570Bond proceeds; depository 547.575Bond fund account; general fund 547.580Retirement of bonds before maturity; call provisions 547.605Funding and refunding of debt; bonds; place of payment 547.610Sale or exchange of bonds; application of proceeds; cancellation of retired obligations; record of transactions 547.615Tax for payment of interest and principal; sinking fund 547.620Retirement of outstanding bonds; notice to bondholders to submit propositions; premium; calling of bonds 547.655Authority to adopt alternative procedure 547.660Exchange of refunding bonds for outstanding indebtedness 547.665Numbering; maturities; negotiability; interest; place of payment; denominations; execution; registration; authority to retire bonds 547.670Offer by holders of indebtedness to surrender evidences thereof or accept proportional payment; sale of bonds; notice; publication 547.675Lien on land assessed for bond payment 547.680Emergency fund; assessments for; use of 547.685Retirement of bonds before maturity; notice of call; date of payment; cessation of interest 547.690Judicial confirmation 547.695Sale of lands for delinquent charges; district as purchaser; resale; payment of proceeds into emergency fund; district to bid at tax sale 547.697Bond fund separate from district general fund; deposits to bond fund and district general fund; expenditures from bond fund and district general fund 547.755Part of district annexed to city to be withdrawn from district only by consent of voters 547.760[Amended by 1955 c.359 §1; repealed by 1973 c.415 §14] 547.990Penalties

Chapter 547 — Drainage Districts

ORS 547.310 Board authority regarding reclamation works; contracts; engineer’s duties

(1)

The board of supervisors shall have full power and authority to:

(a)

Build, construct and complete any works and improvements needed to carry out the plan of reclamation.

(b)

In the name of the district, make all necessary water filings and appropriations of water for the subsequent irrigation of the lands within the district.

(c)

Construct, operate and maintain irrigation works for the irrigation of the lands within the district.

(d)

Hire personnel and purchase machinery, equipment and supplies.

(2)

The board may after advertising for bids, let a contract for construction of the whole or any part of the drainage or irrigation works to the lowest responsible bidder, which contract shall be in writing. The complete plans and specifications for the drainage or irrigation of the lands shall be attached to and made a part of each contract. Good and sufficient bond, running in favor of the district, shall be required of each contractor, conditioned that the contractor will well and truly comply with all the provisions of the contract and perform all work in accordance with the terms thereof.

(3)

The chief engineer shall be superintendent of all the works and improvements and shall, whenever required, and at least once each year, make a full report to the board of all work done and improvements and make such suggestions and recommendations to the board as the chief engineer deems proper.

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