The directors of the irrigation and rehabilitation district shall be the same as of the irrigation district and the directors shall retain all power, rights and authority heretofore granted to them or hereafter granted to them as directors of an irrigation district under any provision of Title
87 RCW or any amendments thereto or any authority granted to directors of irrigation districts under any other law of the state of Washington. The irrigation and rehabilitation district shall also retain all power, rights and authority heretofore or hereafter granted to irrigation districts under Title
87 RCW or any other law or laws of the state of Washington, and use said power and authority including local improvement district provisions to further irrigation and rehabilitation district purposes and in addition shall have authority to rehabilitate or improve all or a portion of any inland body of water including adjacent shore lines located in the district and shall have the further power of modifying or improving any existing or planned water control structure located in the district in order to further the health, recreation, and welfare of the residents in the district.
All rights held by the irrigation district to water located wholly or partially in the district including but not limited to rights granted by the department of ecology shall upon formation of the irrigation and rehabilitation district immediately vest in the irrigation and rehabilitation district and in addition all water in the newly formed district as to which the prior district had any rights shall be held by the new district for all the beneficial uses and purposes for which the irrigation and rehabilitation district is formed.