Ohio’s “petition ditch laws” are receiving a major revision. The Ohio General Assembly has passed H.B. 340, updating the laws that address the installation and maintenance of drainage works of improvement through the petition process. 

As some of Ohio’s oldest laws, the drainage laws play a critical role in maintaining surface water drainage on Ohio lands, but they were in serious need of updating.

An updating process began over seven years ago with the Ohio Drainage Law Task Force convened by the County Commissioners Association of Ohio. CCAO charged the task force with the goals of clarifying ambiguous provisions in the law and embracing new technologies and processes that would result in greater efficiencies, fewer misunderstandings and reduced legal costs for taxpayers. 

Task force members included county commissioners, county engineers and staff, county auditors, Soil and Water Conservation District professionals, Ohio Farm Bureau staff, and Ohio State University's Agricultural & Resource Law program, and other OSU faculty. Rep. Bob Cupp sponsored the resulting H.B. 340, which received unanimous approval from both the House of Representatives and Senate.

Here are a few highlights of the legislation:

Work continues with task force members to prepare detailed explanations of the bill’s provisions and a guideline of the new procedures.  County engineers and SWCD offices will begin following the revised law on the bill’s effective date of March 18, just in time for spring rains and drainage needs.

Hall is an associate professor, Agricultural & Resource Law, for Ohio State University Extension.

Source: OSUE, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.