1. The term “levee districts” as used in sections 245.010 to 245.280, and all other terms or provisions of law contained in sections 245.010 to 245.280, which have heretofore been interpreted, as apply to said levee districts, shall be construed to include, authorize, provide for and be made applicable to all districts now organized or which may hereafter be organized for the purpose of establishing, constructing or causing to be constructed, levees, dikes, bank protections, current control or other protection or reclamation improvements contiguous or adjacent to or situate near any body of swamp, wet or overflowed land, or other property in the nature of individual or corporate franchises in this state, or land subject to overflow or inundation in or adjacent to any river or stream wholly within or bordering on the state of Missouri, property or land abutting, or situate near, which may be endangered or liable to be endangered through wash or bank erosion; provided, that whenever the proposed district is intended to include or does include lots, tracts, parcels or other subdivisions of land included in any third or fourth class city, town or village of this state, or in any city in this state under fifty thousand population operating under a special charter, the words “acre”, “acreage” or “subdivision of land” as now used in sections 245.010 to 245.280, shall be held and construed to include and be used interchangeably with the words “area”, “lot”, “tract” or “parcel of land”, so that a lot or other subdivision of land within such cities shall correspond to the word “acre” as used in sections 245.010 to 245.280, when the levee district is organized in a rural area.

2. The word “owner” as used in sections 245.010 to 245.280 shall mean the owner of the freehold estate, as appears by the deed record, and it shall not include reversioners, remaindermen, trustees, or mortgagees, who shall not be counted and need not be notified by publication, or served by process, but shall be represented by the present owners of the freehold estate in any proceeding under sections 245.010 to 245.280.