West Virginia Code
Article 1. County Commissions Generally
§7-1-3u. Authority of Counties and Municipalities to Treat Streams to Prevent Floods

To protect people and property from floods, counties and municipalities are hereby empowered to rechannel and dredge streams; remove accumulated debris, snags, sandbars, rocks and any other kinds of obstructions from streams; straighten stream channels; and carry out erosion and sedimentation control measures and programs.
For stream treatment to prevent floods as provided in this section, counties and municipalities are hereby further empowered to levy, within all Constitutional and statutory limitations; acquire property by purchase, exercise of the right of eminent domain, lease, gift or grant; accept any and all benefits, moneys, services and assistance which may be available from the federal and state government or any private source; issue and sell bonds within the Constitutional and statutory limitations prescribed by law for the issuance and sale of bonds by counties and municipalities for public purposes generally. Any such levy shall be equal and uniform throughout the county or municipality.
The power and authority granted in this section, may be exercised by any county or municipality in cooperation with each other or separately as provided in section three-i of this article. Any county or municipality which exercises any power or authority set forth in this section shall comply with all applicable provisions of federal and state laws and rules and regulations lawfully promulgated thereunder.
The term "stream" as used in this section means any watercourse, whether natural or man-made, distinguishable by banks and a bed, regardless of their size, through which water flows continually or intermittently, regardless of its volume.

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