Whenever contiguous lands consisting of tracts owned in severalty by different owners shall be subject to injury from the overflow of any natural watercourse, and such land may as a body be protected from such overflow and injury by the construction of levees or other works, but the owners of 3/5 of the acreage of such body of lands are nonresidents and there shall not be five taxpayers resident within the territory including such lands, then subject to the provisions of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 19-270, such territory may be incorporated as a drainage district by the board of county commissioners upon the presentation of a petition as prescribed by Kan. Stat. Ann. § 24-403, and amendments thereto. Such petition shall be signed by not less than 3/5 of the persons who own and pay taxes on land situated within such territory, and shall state the above facts in addition to the facts required to be stated in the petition prescribed by Kan. Stat. Ann. § 24-403, and amendments thereto.