Article 4. Streams And Flood Waters of California Government Code >> Division 2. >> Title 3. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 7. >> Article 4.

The board of supervisors may appropriate and expend money from the general fund of the county for the following purposes:
  (a) The construction of works, improvements, levees, or check dams to prevent the overflow and flooding of streams and rivers in the county.
  (b) The protection and reforestation of the watersheds of such streams and rivers.
  (c) The conservation of the flood waters of such streams and rivers.
  (d) The making of all surveys, maps, and plats necessary to carry out any work, construction, or improvment authorized by this section.
  (e) The carrying out of any work, construction, or improvement authorized by this section outside the county, if the rivers or streams flow in or through more than one county.

The board may appropriate and expend money from the general or other appropriate funds of the county for the construction of works, improvements, levees, or check dams to prevent the overflow and flooding of streams and rivers in the county, and may construct works, improvements, levees, or check dams outside the county for such purposes upon channels, streams, or rivers which flow or lie in or through more than one county, or where any of such work is reasonably necessary for the control of flood waters in the county, although the channel, river, or stream does not lie or flow in or through two or more counties.

A county may reclaim public and private lands therein by levees, bulkheads, breakwaters, fills, embankments, basins, drains, canals, excavations, sluices, pipes, watergates, pumping plants and all works and structures useful therefor. This work is a local improvement and a county affair. The costs of reclamation shall be borne solely by the lands reclaimed. This section shall not be construed as affecting any public district or public entity now or hereafter established and having similar powers.

In connection with flood control work done by the county or by any district therein or agency thereof, highways, bridges, and other public works affected thereby or which will be of public benefit, whether located in the county or wholly or partially in incorporated or unincorporated territory outside the county, may be constructed, reconstructed, remodeled, maintained, repaired, or demolished at the expense of the county doing the flood control work, or in which any district or agency thereof is doing the work, or at the joint expense of the county and the county or city in which the work is done, as may be provided by agreement between the board of supervisors of the county doing the flood control work, or in which any district or agency thereof is doing the work, and the board of supervisors or other legislative body of the county or city in which any of the work is wholly or partially performed.

This article does not authorize the imposition of any tax or special assessment on any property outside the county doing the flood control work whether the work is done directly by the county or by any district in, or agency of the county, nor the doing of any work pursuant to this article outside the county without the consent of the board of supervisors of the county in which the work is to be done if in unincorporated territory or of the legislative body of any city in which any of the works are situated in whole or in part.

The board of supervisors may provide by ordinance for the organization and government of districts: (a) to protect and preserve the banks of rivers and streams and lands lying contiguous thereto from injury by overflow or the washing thereof, (b) to provide for the improvement of such rivers and streams, and (c) to prevent their obstruction. The board may provide for the assessment, levy, and collection within such districts of a tax for the purposes of this section.