North Dakota Century Code Title 61. Waters § 61-21-32. Construction of bridges and culverts--Cost

The board shall construct such bridges or culverts over or in connection with a drain as in its judgment may be necessary to furnish passage from one part to another of any private farm or tract of land intersected by such drain.  The cost of the construction thereof shall be charged as part of the cost of constructing such drain, and such bridge or passageway shall be maintained under the authority of the board, and the necessary expense thereof shall be deemed a part of the cost of keeping such drain open and in repair.  Whenever any bridge or culvert is to be constructed on a county or township highway system over and across or in connection with a drain, and the cost thereof shall exceed five hundred dollars, the cost of constructing such bridge or culvert shall be shared in the following manner:  The state water commission may, if funds are available therefor, participate in the portion of the cost thereof that exceeds five hundred dollars in accordance with such rules and regulations as it may prescribe.  The remaining cost thereof shall be borne on the basis of forty percent by the county and sixty percent by the water resource district or the drainage district which has created the need for such construction.  If, however, moneys have not been made available to the commission for such participation, then and in that case, forty percent of the cost of a bridge or culvert costing in excess of one hundred dollars shall be paid by the county and sixty percent shall be charged as cost of the drain to the drainage district.  Whenever any bridge or culvert costing one hundred dollars or less is needed on any such road, the cost of such bridge or culvert shall be charged on the basis of sixty percent to the water resource district or the drainage district and forty percent shall be borne by the township in which such bridge or culvert is located.

In the case of such bridge or culvert construction when there is federal financial participation, if there are costs exceeding the amount of such federal participation then the excess balance shall be borne by the water resource district, drainage district, county, or township, according to the foregoing provisions of this section, as the case may be.