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Okla. Stat. tit. 82, § 82-277.25

This is the official text of Okla. Stat. tit. 82, § 82-277.25, part of Oklahoma’s Stat. tit. 82, — part of the compiled statutory law of Oklahoma, published by the state as "Stat. tit. 82,." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.

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Reclassification of land - Procedure

Official statutory text

A. The reclassification of land within any irrigation district

now or hereafter organized under the provisions of the Oklahoma

Irrigation District Act, may be changed in the manner prescribed by

this section. Such reclassification shall not impair or affect the

irrigation district's organization, or its rights in or to property

or any of its rights or privileges of whatsoever kind or nature, nor

shall it affect, impair or discharge any contract, obligation, lien

or charge for or upon which it or the owner of lands therein were or

might become liable or chargeable had such reclassification not been

made.

B. The holder or holders of title or evidence of title of any

body of land situated within the boundaries of any irrigation

district, may file with the board a petition in writing, requesting

that such land be reclassified. The petition shall describe the

tracts or body of land owned by the petitioners. The petition shall

be deemed to give the assent of the petitioners to the

reclassification in said district of the lands described in the

petition and such petition shall be acknowledged in the same manner

that conveyances of land are required to be acknowledged.

C. 1. Upon the filing of a petition for reclassification and

payment, by the petitioners to the secretary-treasurer, of

sufficient monies to pay the costs of all proceedings on the

petition, the secretary-treasurer of the district shall cause notice

of such petition to be published once in a newspaper published in

the county where the office of the directors is situated. If any

portion of said district or land lies within another county or

counties then said notice shall be published in a newspaper

published within each of said counties. The notice shall inform the

public of:

a. the filing of such petition,

b. the description of the lands mentioned in said

petition which are desired to be reclassified in the

district,

c. the reason for reclassification, and

d. a meeting at which all persons interested may appear

at the office of the board at the time named in said

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 82. Waters and Water Rights Page 57

notice and show cause, if any, why said petition

should be granted or denied.

2. The directors shall consider the petition at any regular or

special meeting of the board and at the established office and place

of business of the district upon a date not earlier than ten (10)

days after the publication of the notice.

3. A copy of the notice, as published, shall be by the

secretary-treasurer of the district mailed to each and all of the

then owners of the tracts or parcels of land proposed to be

reclassified. The notice shall be so mailed not later than ten (10)

days prior to the date set for the hearing.

D. The board at the time and place mentioned in the notice

shall proceed to hear and consider any written comments which may

have theretofore been filed by any person interested in said

petition for reclassification, and arguments, if any, by persons

interested, in support or opposition to the petition.

E. 1. If, after giving due consideration, the board determines

that:

a. the reclassification is not in the best interest of

the district,

b. the reclassification will impair the current or future

needs of the then existing electors, or

c. the land is not irrigable, not suitable for irrigation

or not otherwise necessary for the irrigation

district,

the board shall, by resolution, order that the petition be denied.

The resolution shall be included in the minutes of the regular or

special meeting of the board held for such purpose.

2. If, after giving due consideration, the board determines

that:

a. the reclassification is in the best interest of the

district,

b. the reclassification will not impair the current or

future needs of the existing electors, and

c. the land is irrigable, is suitable for irrigation or

is otherwise necessary for the irrigation district,
or

special meeting of the board held for such purpose.

2. If, after giving due consideration, the board determines

that:

a. the reclassification is in the best interest of the

district,

b. the reclassification will not impair the current or

future needs of the existing electors, and

c. the land is irrigable, is suitable for irrigation or

is otherwise necessary for the irrigation district,

the board shall, by resolution, reclassify the lands mentioned in

the petition or determine that some defined portion thereof be

reclassified. The resolution shall be included in the minutes of

the regular or special meeting of the board held for such purpose.

3. If, within thirty (30) days from the making of such

determination, three-fourths (3/4) of the qualified electors of the

district, in writing to the board, protest against the determination

of the board, such determination shall be void.

F. 1. When the reclassification of land is commenced by

petition, the board to whom such petition is presented may require

as a condition precedent to the granting of the same that the

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 82. Waters and Water Rights Page 58

petitioners severally pay to the district such respective sums, as

nearly as the same can be estimated by the board, as the petitioners

or their grantors would have been required to pay for:

a. their pro rata share of all bonds and the interest

thereon which may have previously thereto been issued

by said district had the lands been included in the

district at the time the same was originally formed or

when the bonds were so issued, and

b. irrigation works or water rights purchased other than

by issue of bonds.

2. The board shall prepare an itemized expenditure listing of

such costs incurred which shall also include information detailing

how any such estimated sums were determined.

G. 1. Upon the reclassification of land in the district and if

no protest has been filed with the board within thirty (30) days

after the entry of said resolution as provided in subsection E of

this section, a certified copy of the minutes of the board making

such change, and a plat of such district showing such change,

certified by the president or chairman and secretary-treasurer,

shall be filed for record in the office of the county clerk of each

county in which the lands of the district are situated. The

district shall remain an irrigation district as fully to all intents

and purposes as if the lands which were reclassified in the district

had been included or excluded at the organization of the district.

The district as so changed and all the lands therein shall be liable

for all existing obligations and indebtedness of the organized

district.

2. Upon filing of the copies of the minutes and the plat,

copies thereof, certified by said county clerk, shall be admissible

in evidence to prove the reclassification of said lands in the

district.

H. 1. Lands within the boundaries of the district may also be

reclassified by resolution of the board. Notice of the resolution

to reclassify shall be given in the same manner as if the

reclassification were by petition of the landowners except that the

district shall bear all costs of publication and of the proceedings.

The board at the time and place mentioned in the notice shall

proceed to hear and consider any written objections which may have

theretofore been filed by any person interested in the

reclassification, and arguments, if any, by persons interested in

support or opposition to the resolution.

2. The board shall give the same consideration required by

subsection E of this section for determining whether the lands

specified in the resolution should be reclassified. If, after the

proceeding provided by this section, the board determines that the

lands specified in the resolution should be reclassified, the board

shall adopt the resolution. The resolution shall be included in the
on.

2. The board shall give the same consideration required by

subsection E of this section for determining whether the lands

specified in the resolution should be reclassified. If, after the

proceeding provided by this section, the board determines that the

lands specified in the resolution should be reclassified, the board

shall adopt the resolution. The resolution shall be included in the

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 82. Waters and Water Rights Page 59

minutes of any regular or special meeting of the directors held for

such purpose.

3. If, within thirty (30) days from the meeting of such

determination, three-fourths (3/4) of the qualified electors of the

district protest in writing to the board against the

reclassification, the reclassification shall be void.

4. If any owner of the property reclassified pursuant to this

subsection disputes the reclassification of such land, the owner may

appeal the decision of the district court of the county having

jurisdiction over the lands specified by the resolution.

I. In case of reclassification of any lands by proceedings

under this section, the board shall, at least thirty (30) days prior

to the next succeeding regular election, make an order redividing

such district for the purpose of electing directors to ensure

equality in land area and number of electors.

J. In case of the reclassification of any lands by proceedings

under this section, the owners of the reclassified lands if they are

to become assessable irrigable lands shall pay the reasonable costs

of construction necessary to commence water delivery to said lands.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

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About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.