A petition for a proposed irrigation district must be filed with the department of water resources and signed by landowners of the proposed district who together own a majority of the whole number of acres [hectares] subject to assessment for construction or other costs within the district requesting the territory described in the petition be organized under the provisions of this chapter. The territory must be described and included in the district, if established, by legal governmental subdivisions of forty acres [16.19 hectares] or more unless held in fractional lots or plotted units of lesser size, or unless portions of the territory are more readily susceptible to irrigation from works other than those of the proposed district. The proposed district may include lands that are not contiguous to any other lands in the proposed district. The petition must include the name and address of each petitioner and a description of the petitioner’s land, and a map or maps showing the boundaries of the proposed district must be attached to the petition.