88.63 Maintenance and repair of drains.
(1g) In this section “maintenance and repair" refers to the restoration of a drain or any part thereof as nearly as practicable to the same condition as when originally constructed or subsequently improved, including resloping of open ditches and leveling of spoil banks or excavated materials, and such routine operations as from time to time may be required to remove obstructions and preserve the efficiency of the drains. The terms do not include any substantial or material alteration, enlargement or extension of the drainage system of the district.
(1m) It is the duty of the drainage board to maintain in good condition the drains in all districts under the board's jurisdiction and to repair such drains when necessary. The board shall have all drains under its jurisdiction inspected annually to determine the need for maintenance and repair work. The board shall apportion the cost of such inspection to the various districts involved and the cost shall be paid out of any funds of the district available for maintenance and repair. The board may hire an inspector or authorize one or more owners of land in the drainage district to make the inspection or members of the board may themselves make the inspection.
(2) The board may establish and maintain a fund for the payment of the costs of normal operations and maintenance and repair and for emergency expenses. Moneys in a fund under this subsection may not exceed amounts reasonably necessary for the purposes under this subsection.
(4) The drainage board may use the funds assessed for maintenance and repair to pay for the costs of undertaking or defending a lawsuit involving the board, a board member or a drainage district or for representing an owner of land in a drainage district as provided in s. 88.21 (13). The board shall allocate the costs to individual drainage districts in an equitable manner.
History: 1993 a. 456; 2001 a. 103; 2017 a. 115.
Ch. 30 applies to navigable ditches that were originally navigable streams. If a navigable ditch was originally nonnavigable or had no previous stream history, the Department of Natural Resources' jurisdiction depends upon the facts of each situation. Section 31.33 applies to nonnavigable artificial waterways insofar as is necessary to protect navigable waters and owners of flooded waters. 63 Atty. Gen. 493.
Structure Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 88 - Drainage of lands.
88.02 - Outstanding securities and contracts not affected.
88.03 - Drainage proceedings equitable in nature.
88.032 - Amendment of documents.
88.04 - General rules relating to signatures on petitions.
88.05 - General rules applicable to notices of hearings.
88.06 - General procedure for obtaining consent or approval of the court in drainage proceedings.
88.065 - General procedure for drainage board hearings.
88.07 - General rules; drainage proceedings in court.
88.08 - Costs in drainage proceedings.
88.09 - Certiorari; drainage board decisions.
88.10 - Guardian ad litem; failure to appoint.
88.11 - Assistance to drainage districts.
88.12 - Proceedings when drainage area is in more than one county.
88.13 - Right to enter lands of drainage district.
88.14 - Controversies between districts.
88.145 - Limitation of damages and suits.
88.16 - Notification requirements, engineering study.
88.161 - Transition for certain drainage districts.
88.17 - Appointment and organization of drainage board.
88.172 - Limited liability of drainage board members.
88.18 - County treasurer to serve as treasurer of drainage districts.
88.19 - Board to keep records.
88.20 - Conflict of interest prohibited.
88.21 - General powers of the drainage board.
88.212 - Required actions for the drainage board.
88.22 - Power of board to contract with the federal government and other agencies.
88.23 - Power of board to levy assessments for costs.
88.24 - Board to file annual report.
88.27 - Who may petition for organization of a drainage district.
88.29 - Referral of petition to board; examination of lands; hearing by board.
88.31 - Special procedure in cases affecting navigable waters.
88.33 - Drainage project may be stopped prior to organization of district.
88.34 - Hearing by the court; organization of drainage district.
88.35 - Laying out drains, assessment of benefits and award of damages in newly organized district.
88.40 - Assessments for costs to be certified to register of deeds; assessments are lien on lands.
88.405 - Assessment for connection to district drain.
88.41 - Payment of assessments for costs.
88.42 - Unpaid drainage assessments to be collected as taxes.
88.43 - Collection of assessments as delinquent taxes.
88.44 - Contesting validity of assessments.
88.45 - Procedure upon discovering omitted assessments.
88.46 - Reassessment of benefits.
88.47 - Apportionment of assessments when assessed parcel is divided.
88.48 - Assessment of county and municipal lands.
88.49 - Assessment of one district by another; judgment against district.
88.50 - When state lands subject to assessment; right-of-way across state lands.
88.55 - Refunding district obligations.
88.56 - Compromise and discharge of obligations.
88.62 - Conditions relative to doing of work.
88.63 - Maintenance and repair of drains.
88.64 - Assessment against municipalities for enlargement or maintenance of drains.
88.66 - Construction and repair of drains crossing railroad right-of-way.
88.68 - Construction of drain across public highway; construction of bridges across drains.
88.69 - District liable for damage to land outside its boundaries.
88.70 - Formation of subdistrict to obtain more thorough drainage.
88.71 - Enlarging or supplementing existing drains.
88.72 - Removal of dams or other obstructions in drainage outlets.
88.73 - Providing drainage for lands assessed but not adequately drained.
88.77 - Annexation of lands upon petition of owners.
88.78 - Annexation of benefited lands.
88.785 - Certain annexations prohibited.
88.79 - Consolidation of drainage districts in process of organization.
88.791 - Consolidation of existing drainage districts.
88.80 - Withdrawal of lands from drainage district.
88.81 - Proceedings to suspend operations of drainage district.
88.815 - Dissolution of suspended drainage districts.
88.817 - Leola drainage district.
88.82 - Dissolution of drainage districts.
88.83 - Transfer of district to municipal jurisdiction.
88.88 - Railroad to construct ditch or sluiceway across right-of-way.
88.89 - Roads not to obstruct natural watercourse.
88.90 - Removal of obstructions from natural watercourses.
88.91 - Penalty for placing obstruction in ditches.
88.92 - Private drains not to be connected with district drains.