CHAPTER XIV 

 DRAINAGE LAWS 



NUMEROUS questions arise concerning the rights of in- 

 dividuals who desire to drain their lands. An attempt 

 will be made in the following pages to state, briefly, 

 certain facts in law concerning the rights of property 

 owners to drain their lands, and the methods of procedure 

 under certain conditions. 



288. The right of the individual to drain his property 

 when it lies adjacent to a natural water course. The 

 law of Iowa reads : " Owners of land may drain the 

 same in the general course of natural drainage, by con- 

 structing open or covered drains, discharging the same 

 into any natural water course, or into any natural 

 depression, whereby the water will be carried into some 

 natural water course, and when such drainage is wholly 

 upon the owner's land he shall not be liable in damages 

 therefor to any person or persons, or corporation." 

 The law of Illinois is identical, except that it specifies 

 also that the drainage may be discharged " into some 

 drain on the public highway with the consent of the 

 Commissioners thereto." 



The right of an owner of land to discharge the drainage 

 waters from his farm into natural water courses, after 

 the manner indicated in the above quoted law, would 

 probably be sustained in most states, if not in every state. 

 It is probable, however, that if any owner of land should 



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