S-796                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 3815

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senator Metcalf

Read first time 2/7/85 and referred to Committee on Parks and Ecology.

AN ACT Relating to surface waters; and adding a new section to chapter 90.03 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 90.03 RCW to read as follows:

          No person may collect, channel, direct, or divert diffuse surface waters from, upon, or within that person's own land in an artificial manner such as by bulwark, ditch, underground tile, pipe, culvert, or otherwise, onto the land of another without making just compensation to persons injured thereby.  For the purpose of this section, "person" has the meaning given in RCW 1.16.080 and includes political subdivisions of the state of Washington.