Mo. Rev. Stat. § 231.080: Highway engineer or overseer to contract for ditching and draining, when.

The county highway engineer or the overseer of any road district, with the approval of the engineer, is authorized to contract with any owner of land adjacent to the line of public roads for the purpose of opening any ditch or ditches for the drainage of the road, or to procure any necessary material for road purposes, and to pay a reasonable compensation therefor. Said contracts shall be in writing, and, if they relate to the opening of ditches and drains, shall describe the lands on which said ditches or drains are situated, and the location of same, and shall be acknowledged by the landowner and filed and recorded in the office of the recorder of deeds of the county.