Wisconsin Code § 31.38

Municipal authority to construct and maintain dams
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(1) Every municipality may, subject to this chapter, authorize the acquisition, construction, maintenance or repair of
dams across any lake or stream adjoining or within the limits of
such municipality, and may locate such dam within or without
such limits.
(2) Whenever it is deemed necessary to acquire, construct,
maintain or repair any such dam, a plan therefor, with specifications and cost estimates, shall be prepared and presented to the
governing body of the municipality for adoption. Cost estimates
may include the estimated cost of maintenance for a period of
years. When adopted by the governing body, the plan shall,
where required, be submitted to the department or proper officer
of the United States for approval. No work shall be done in pursuance of such plan until it has been so approved.
(3) For the purpose of this section, a municipality may purchase or condemn lands within and, when necessary, without its
limits in order to protect any property situated within such limits.
(4) The municipality shall proceed in accordance with s.
66.0703 to make special assessments to property on account of
benefits resulting to the property from the improvement mentioned in sub. (2) or from the acquisition and maintenance of a
dam. If the excess of benefits over damages accruing to property
within the assessment district is not sufficient to pay the cost of
the improvement, the municipality may pay the balance, either
out of its general fund or out of any special fund created for that
purpose. The municipality may issue its negotiable bonds, as
provided in ch. 67, to pay for such improvement. The department
upon request of a municipality shall assist in engineering, surveying and determination of charges necessary in establishing special assessment districts under this section, cost of which shall be
advanced by the requesting municipality and later charged against
the various parcels of the special assessment district in direct proportion to the assessed benefits of each parcel in the district.
(5) Whenever 2 or more municipalities propose to cooperate
in acquiring, constructing, maintaining or repairing a dam, their
governing bodies shall first meet and adopt a method of proceeding and a plan of apportioning to each its share of the entire cost.
Such method of proceeding and plan of apportionment shall be
embodied in a resolution adopted by the governing bodies of the
cooperating municipalities acting jointly and later such resolution
shall be adopted by each of the governing bodies acting
separately.
(6) Whenever a county or town acts under this section, the
references in s. 66.0703 to a city or village or clerk thereof mean
the county or town or clerk thereof, as the case may be.

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