Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 51 - WATERS, WATER RESOURCES, WATER DISTRICTS, DRAINAGE, AND FLOOD CONTROL (§§ 51-1-1 — 51-41-33) › Chapter 7 - WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS (§§ 51-7-1 — 51-7-71) › IN GENERAL (§§ 51-7-1 — 51-7-49) › Section 51-7-5 - Territory of districts

(1)
Master water management districts may be organized from the territory of two or more existing drainage or water management districts, from the territory of parts of two or more of such existing districts, from territory in whole or in part of one or more of such existing districts and territory not now included in any such existing district, or from territory not now included in any drainage or water management district.
(2)
(a)
Whenever a proposed master water management district is to be composed of lands lying wholly within existing drainage or water management districts, whether or not such master water management district is to include all or parts of said existing districts, and the commissioners of such existing districts desire to form a master water management district, they shall petition the chancery court for the creation of such master water management district. Such petition shall be signed by the president or chairman and the secretary of the board of commissioners of each petitioning drainage or water management district; and there shall be affixed to said petition a certificate by the secretary of each such district, certifying that the execution of such petition by said officers in behalf of such drainage or water management district has been duly authorized by the commissioners thereof. Said petition shall be filed in the chancery court district in which the largest acreage of such proposed district is situated and in the county, or either of the judicial districts thereof, in such court district having the largest acreage in such court district.
(b)
Whenever such proposed master water management district is composed of lands lying partly within and partly without one or more existing drainage or water management districts and the creation of such district is desired, a petition proposing the creation of such master water management district shall be filed in the chancery court; and such petition shall be signed by the president or chairman and secretary of the board of commissioners of each petitioning drainage or water management district as to the lands within each such district and by at least one half (1/2) of the landowners owning at least one third (1/3) of the lands or by at least one third (1/3) of the landowners owning at least one half (1/2) of the lands as to the lands not then within any such existing district, excluding lands owned by the state. There shall be affixed to said petition a certificate by the secretary of each such existing district, certifying that the execution of such petition in behalf of such drainage or water management district has been duly authorized by the commissioners thereof. Said petition shall be filed in the chancery court district in which the largest acreage of such proposed district is situated and in the county, or either of the judicial districts thereof, in such court district having the largest acreage in such court district.
(c)
Whenever such proposed master water management district as composed of lands lying entirely without any existing drainage or water management district and the creation of such district is desired, a petition proposing the creation of such master water management district shall be filed in the chancery court; and such petition shall be signed by at least one half (1/2) of the landowners owning at least one third (1/3) of the lands or by at least one third (1/3) of the landowners owning at least one half (1/2) of the lands to be included within such district, excluding the lands therein owned by the state. Said petition shall be filed in the chancery court district in which the largest acreage of such proposed district is situated and in the county, or either of the judicial districts thereof, in such court district having the largest acreage in such court district.
(3)
If the petition for creation of the master water management district includes any area lying in whole or in part within a levee district duly constituted under the laws of this state, there shall be attached to the petition a copy of a resolution adopted by the levee board of such levee district, approving the proposed petition for creation of the master water management district.
Codes, 1942, § 5956-103; Laws, 1960, ch. 175, § 3, eff. 5/10/1960.