The taking and damaging of land, property or rights therein or thereto by any county, either inside or outside of such county, for flood control purposes of the county is hereby declared to be for a public use. Such eminent domain proceedings shall be in the name of the county, shall be had in the county where the property is situated, and may unite in a single action proceedings to condemn for county use property held by separate owners, the jury to return separate verdicts for the several lots, tracts or parcels of land, or interest therein, so taken or damaged. The proceedings may conform to the provisions of *sections 921 to 926, inclusive, of Remington's Revised Statutes, or to any general law now or hereafter enacted governing eminent domain proceedings by counties. The title so acquired by the county shall be the fee simple title or such lesser estate as shall be designated in the decree of appropriation. The awards in and costs of such proceedings shall be payable out of the river improvement fund.