Whenever the unified control of a lake or of a river system or a portion thereof shall be deemed conducive to the prevention of stream pollution development, conservation and protection of water supply, preservation of water levels, control or prevention of floods, reclamation of wet and overflowed lands, development of irrigation, conservation of soil, provision of domestic, industrial or public water supplies, collection and disposal of sewage and other public liquid wastes, provision of forests, wildlife areas, parks and recreational facilities, and to the promotion of the public health, comfort and convenience the same may be organized as a conservancy district under this Act in the manner following:
     One per cent or more of the legal voters resident within the limits of such proposed district, and, with respect to petitions filed on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1990, one percent of the legal voters resident in each county in which the proposed district is situated, may petition the circuit court for the county which contains all or the largest portion of the proposed district to cause the question to be submitted to the legal voters of such proposed district, whether such proposed territory shall be organized as a conservancy district under this Act, which petition shall be addressed to the court and shall contain a general description of the boundaries of the territory to be embraced in the proposed district and the name of such proposed district. The description need not be given by metes and bounds or by legal subdivisions, but it shall be sufficient if a generally accurate description is given of the territory to be organized as a district. Such territory need not be contiguous, provided that it be so situated that the public health, safety, convenience or welfare will be promoted by the organization as a single district of the territory described.
     Upon filing such petition in the office of the circuit clerk of the county in which such petition is filed as aforesaid it shall be the duty of the court to consider the boundaries of any such proposed conservancy district, whether the same shall be those stated in the petition or otherwise. The decision of the court is appealable as in other civil cases.
     The court shall by order fix a time and place for a hearing on the petition not less than 60 days after the date of such order. Notice shall be given by the court to whom the petition is addressed of the time and place where such commissioners shall meet for such hearing by a publication inserted once in one or more daily or weekly papers published within the proposed conservancy district, or if no daily or weekly newspaper is published within such proposed conservancy district, then by posting such notice, at least 10 copies, in such proposed district at least 20 days before such meeting, in conspicuous public places as far separated from each other as consistently possible.
     At such hearing all persons in such proposed conservancy district shall have an opportunity to be heard, touching upon the location and boundaries of such proposed district and to make suggestions regarding the same, and the court, after hearing statements, evidence and suggestions, shall fix and determine the limits and boundaries of such proposed district, and for that purpose and to that extent, may alter and amend such petition. After such determination by the court, the same shall be incorporated in an order which shall be entered of record in the circuit court or courts of the counties situate in the proposed district and the court shall also by the order provide for the holding of a referendum as herein provided.
     Upon the entering of such order the court shall certify the question of organization and establishment of the proposed conservancy district as determined by the court to the proper election officials who shall submit the question at an election in accordance with the general election law. In addition to the requirements of the general election law, notice of the referendum shall specify the purpose of the referendum and contain a description of such proposed district. The clerk of the court shall send notice of the referendum to the county board of each county in which the proposed district is situated.
     Each legal voter resident within such proposed conservancy district shall have the right to cast a ballot at such election. The question shall be in substantially the following form:
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    Shall a Conservancy District
be organized, with authority to levy
an annual tax at a maximum rate of         YES
… % (maximum rate authorized under
Section 17 of the River Conservancy    ———————–
Districts Act) of the value of all
taxable property within the limits of      NO
the District as equalized or assessed
by the Department of Revenue?
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     The ballots cast on the question in each county shall be returned and canvassed by the county clerk of the county in which the same are cast and such county clerks respectively shall file with the county clerk of the county, in which the petition is filed, a true copy of the return and canvass of the votes cast in each of said counties and thereupon the county clerk of the county in which such petition is filed shall canvass the entire vote cast in the election from the returns furnished by such respective county clerks and shall ascertain the result of such referendum and certify the same to the court. The court shall cause a statement of the results of such referendum to be entered of record in the court. If a majority of the votes cast at such election upon the question shall be in favor of the organization of the proposed conservancy district such proposed district shall thenceforth be deemed an organized conservancy district under this Act and a municipal corporation with the powers and duties herein conferred and bearing the name set forth in the petition.