§ 299-P — Administration of the watershed district; powers; limitations

§ 299-p. Administration of the watershed district; powers;\nlimitations. 1. Administrative head or body of district. When a\nwatershed district shall have been established, the board of\nsupervisors, with the advice of the agency, shall appoint, designate or\nestablish an administrative head or body in the manner prescribed in\nsection two hundred sixty-one of this chapter in the case of county\nwater districts, as now in effect or as hereafter amended.\n 2. Powers and duties of the district. All the provisions of sections\ntwo hundred sixty-one through and including two hundred sixty-four of\nthis chapter in the case of county water districts, as now in effect or\nas hereafter amended, shall apply, in so far as they may be applicable,\nto watershed districts and the administrative heads of watershed\ndistricts shall possess equivalent powers and authority in watershed\ndistrict matters, except that the power to purchase or condemn an\nexisting water system or portion or portions thereof shall not be vested\nin or available to a watershed district or on behalf thereof.\n 3. Limitations on powers and sale of water. The watershed district\nshall not by construction of any project works or facilities, or\notherwise, damage, interrupt or interfere with any works, facilities,\nproject or sources of supply of any person, firm, municipal corporation,\nwaterworks corporation, public corporation, district or authority or of\nany other body or agency engaged in supplying the inhabitants of any\nmunicipality, political subdivision or other civil division of the state\nwith water, nor shall the watershed district or agency engage in the\nsupplying of water to such inhabitants. However, the watershed district,\nwith the approval of the board of supervisors, may by contract agree to\nsell any excess water at wholesale to any firm, municipality or other\npublic or private corporation, district or authority, or other body or\nagency engaged in supplying or proposing to supply such inhabitants with\nwater. All such contracts shall be of no force or effect unless and\nuntil the watershed district shall have received the approval of the\nwater power and control commission as required by and in the manner\nprovided by article eleven of the conservation law. The watershed\ndistrict may also contract for the sale of excess water directly to a\nproposed user for industrial or irrigation purposes. All revenues from\nsuch sales and other revenues of a watershed district shall be collected\nand received by the county treasurer, who shall keep a true account of\nall such receipts. Such revenues shall be used for said watershed\ndistrict purposes only.\n 4. Recreational use of water. The administrative head or body may\nadopt rules and regulations, subject to the approval of the board of\nsupervisors, for the recreational use of the public for bathing, boating\nand fishing in and on the waters impounded in a project reservoir.\n 5. Acceptance of gifts and services. The watershed district, with the\napproval of the board of supervisors, may accept gifts of money and\nproperty from any source, public or private, and shall apply such gifts\nto watershed district purposes. The watershed district, with the\napproval of the board of supervisors, may enter into contracts with any\nmunicipality or other civil division of the state and with any person,\nfirm, association and public or private corporation for a contribution\nof services or other help in the construction of the project or in its\nmaintenance.\n