dc.description.abstract | Prior to the carrying out of the work permitted by a regulation licence, it is the practice in Norway to establish a court of enquiry to investigate the possible economic consequences of damage resulting from regulating. This court comprises a public law official who acts as chairman and who is supplemented by experts in the various fields in which economic interests are involved. These fields include the floating of timber along the drainage system, agriculture, communications, fishing etc. In addition to the above members of the court, the number of whom can be often between 4 and 8, additional professional experts are usually called in to assist the judges in the assessment of the evidence, for example, experts to predict the damage resulting to agriculture and fishing, and from the formation of ice on river and lake waters etc. In order to obtain evidence to support their predictions the experts are given the opportunity to carry out practical investigations. The author has, in the course of his 40 years as professional geologist, observed and studied many cases of erosion and other damage to land which were consequential upon the regulation of drainage systems. | |