Drainage and levee districts keep the bottomland farmable

Much of Scott County is flat, low bottomland near the Mississippi River. To farm it, the water has to go somewhere. That job falls to levees and drainage ditches that pull water off the land. Many of these are run by levee districts and drainage districts. Under Missouri law, these are special government bodies. Each has its own board, and each can charge an assessment on the land it covers, based on how much the work helps that land. They are separate from county government. If you own land here, that can mean a drainage charge on your parcel and a say in how water gets managed. Want to know which districts cover your property? Ask the county clerk or assessor. The districts themselves hold the local maps and records.