Section 15-2313. Operation, maintenance, repair and extension of river improvements

1. The care, operation and maintenance  of  any  works  of  the  river
  improvement  district shall be subject to the control and supervision of
  the department. It shall be the duty of the department to  maintain  any
  works  constructed  by  it  in  serviceable  condition.  To that end the
  department is authorized to  hire  employees,  purchase  or  rent  land,
  buildings,  tools  or machinery, to let work by contract or to carry out
  projects  by  day  labor.  The  procedure  to  be   followed   for   the
  authorization,  financing  and  assessment  of  the cost of such work or
  purchases shall  be  that  specified  in  section  15-2303  except  that
  proceedings  may  be  initiated  by the department of its own motion. In
  cases where a permanent maintenance or operating force is necessary, the
  department may annually prepare a  maintenance  budget  which  shall  be
  treated as a repair project under subdivision 2 below.
    2.  Major  repairs,  alterations,  extensions  and improvements in any
  river improvement district may be made by  the  department  on  petition
  therefor  and  after  procedure  thereon  similar  to  that specified in
  section 15-2303 hereof, for original construction. If additional surveys
  are required, they may be authorized and paid for as provided in section
  15-2303 hereof, except that the cost of surveys and other  expenses  may
  be  included  in  the  cost  of  the  improvement  and  assessed  on the
  properties benefited in accordance with the benefits to be derived  from
  such   improvements.   Except   where  the  department  shall  otherwise
  determine, the cost of improvements and repairs on works  already  built
  under  the  provisions of title 23 of this article, shall be assessed in
  the same manner as the original cost was assessed,  but  the  department
  may  make  a  new assessment by following the procedure above specified.
  Any such project for repairs, alterations, extensions  and  improvements
  may be initiated by the department.