Section 15-1109. Additional powers and duties of the department

1.  The  department  shall,  if appropriations are available therefor,
  provide the board  with  such  office  space  and  equipment,  clerical,
  technical,  scientific,  engineering,  legal  and  other  personnel  and
  services as are reasonably necessary to assist the board in carrying out
  its functions, and shall fix  the  compensation,  within  appropriations
  available therefor, of such personnel. The department may enter into and
  execute  contracts  in  the  manner  and  form  prescribed  by  law  for
  technical,  scientific,  engineering  and  legal  services  to  be  made
  available  for  the  board's  functions,  and may enter into cooperative
  agreements  with  federal  agencies  for  research,  the  investigation,
  collection,  compilation,  study and analysis of information and data on
  the water resources  and  the  hydrology  of  the  state,  and  for  the
  preparation and publication of reports thereon.
    2.  The  department  shall  cooperate  with the board and render to it
  advisory and consultant services whenever practicable.
    3. The department shall  endeavor  to  coordinate  the  activities  of
  existing  agencies  and  departments of the state charged with functions
  involving waters and to secure their cooperation with and assistance for
  the board in carrying out its  functions,  and  provide  the  means  for
  coordination  of  the  studies  and  development  plans  of all regional
  boards;
    4. The department shall keep  a  true  and  accurate  account  of  all
  expenditures  incurred on behalf of the board including, but not limited
  to, those incurred for all proceedings,  hearings  (except  the  hearing
  required   by  section  15-1103),  notifications,  clerical,  technical,
  engineering, legal and other services and expenses;
    5. The department shall, within a reasonable time after the  plan  has
  been  approved or disapproved, submit an itemized statement of the costs
  and expenses so incurred and expended to the  county  legislative  body.
  Notice  shall be attached to such statement that, under title 11 of this
  article, twenty-five per cent of the  cost  and  expenses  is  a  county
  charge  which,  if  more than one county is involved, is to be equitably
  apportioned among them; that the counties  may  by  agreement  determine
  such  equitable  apportionment  within  sixty days from the date of such
  notice, and, that in the failure  of  the  counties  so  to  agree,  the
  department, on a specified date after such sixty day period has expired,
  will  hear  the  counties at its office and proceed to make an equitable
  apportionment of the county charge;
    6. The  department  shall  recommend  legislation  to  accomplish  and
  further  the  planning and development program of the water resources of
  the state.