Wisconsin Statutes Public Lands, Waters and Natural Resources (Ch. 23 to 33) § 31.38. Municipal authority to construct and maintain dams

(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.