A. A person owning an interest in common with another person in a lateral ditch constructed and used for irrigating, mining, milling or other useful and lawful purpose, may widen, deepen, border up or extend the lateral ditch by paying to his associates, and to the owner of the land through which the lateral ditch passes, a just compensation for damages to the land or growing crop occasioned by widening, deepening, bordering up or extending the lateral ditch.
B. "Lateral ditch" as used in this section means a private ditch leading from a main ditch or any of its branches receiving water from a river or original source of supply.