161A.47 - INSPECTION OF LAND ON COMPLAINT.

        161A.47  INSPECTION OF LAND ON COMPLAINT.
         1.  The commissioners shall inspect or cause to be inspected any
      land within the district to determine if land is being damaged by
      sediment, from soil erosion occurring on neighboring land in excess
      of the limits established by the district's soil erosion control
      regulations.  If the land is privately owned, the commissioners shall
      make or cause to be made the inspection, upon receiving a written
      complaint signed by an owner or occupant of land claiming that the
      owner's or occupant's land is being damaged by sediment.  If the land
      is subject to a public interest, the commissioners shall make or
      cause to be made the inspection upon a majority vote of commissioners
      at an open meeting held pursuant to chapter 21.  Land is subject to a
      public interest if the land is publicly held, subject to an easement
      held by the public, or the subject of an improvement made at public
      expense.
         2.  If, after the inspection, the commissioners find that sediment
      damages are occurring to land which is owned or occupied by the
      person filing the complaint or subject to a public interest, and that
      excess soil erosion is occurring on neighboring land, the
      commissioners shall issue an administrative order to the landowner or
      landowners of record, and to the occupant of the land if known to the
      commissioners.  The order shall describe the land and state as nearly
      as possible the extent to which soil erosion on the land exceeds the
      limits established by the district's regulations.
         3.  The order shall be delivered either by personal service or by
      restricted certified mail to each of the persons to whom it is
      directed, and shall:
         a.  In the case of erosion occurring on the site of any
      construction project or similar undertaking involving the removal of
      all or a major portion of the vegetation or other cover, exposing
      bare soil directly to water or wind, state a time not more than five
      days after service or mailing of the notice of the order when work
      necessary to establish or maintain erosion control practices must be
      commenced, and a time not more than thirty days after service or
      mailing of the notice of the order when the work is to be
      satisfactorily completed.
         b.  In all other cases, state a time not more than six months
      after service or mailing of the notice of the order, by which work
      needed to establish or maintain the necessary soil and water
      conservation practices or erosion control measures must be commenced,
      and a time not more than one year after the service or mailing of the
      notice of the order when the work is to be satisfactorily completed,
      unless the requirements of the order are superseded by the provisions
      of section 161A.48.  
         Section History: Early Form
         [C73, 75, 77, 79, 81, § 467A.47] 
         Section History: Recent Form
         87 Acts, ch 23, § 33; 92 Acts, ch 1057, § 1
         C93, § 161A.47
         2009 Acts, ch 41, §202
         Referred to in § 161A.48, 161A.49, 161A.61, 161A.64, 161A.66,
      161A.71, 161A.74