West Virginia Code Chapter 8. Municipal Corporations § 8-30-1. Establishment and operation of flood control projects by municipalities and counties

Any municipality or county may establish, construct, maintain and operate for such municipality or county a flood control project, including the removal of accumulated snags and other debris from and the clearing and straightening of the channel of navigable streams and tributaries thereof, and any such municipality or county may accept any and all benefits, moneys, services and assistance from the federal government in connection with any agreement as authorized by federal statutes and laws relating to flood control, and any such municipality or county under such agreements as are required by section 701c, Title 33, United States Code or other federal statutes is hereby empowered and authorized to give assurances satisfactory to the secretary of the army or other proper federal authority that such municipality or county will: (a) Provide without cost to the United States, all lands, easements and right-of-ways necessary for the construction of the project; (b) hold and save the United States free from damages due to the construction works; and (c) maintain and operate all the works after completion in accordance with regulations prescribed by the secretary of the army.

Any such municipality or county is hereby further empowered and authorized to levy, within all constitutional and statutory limitations, for the maintenance or operation of a flood control project; to purchase land situate therein for the same; to institute condemnation proceedings for the acquiring of any land required under the flood control project; and to authorize the issuance and sale of bonds within all constitutional and statutory limitations, as is provided under general law for the issuance and sale of bonds by municipalities and counties for public purposes generally. Any levy shall be equal and uniform throughout the municipality or county, as the case may be. Real or personal property or moneys may also be acquired for such purpose by gifts to such municipality or county.

Any municipality or county is hereby empowered and authorized to adopt zoning ordinances restricting the use of the lands and the construction of buildings and structures within the flood control area and one hundred feet on each side thereof and to enforce such ordinances by fine or imprisonment, or both, in the circuit court of the county in which the offense occurred in the case of a county ordinance, or by injunction proceedings in the circuit court of the county in which the offense occurred. Prosecution for violation of any such municipal ordinance shall be as in any other municipal ordinance violation case.

The power and authority granted by this section may be exercised by any municipality or county in cooperation with each other or separately where such flood control project is located, regardless of the sponsoring agency of such project.