A county may lay off a navigable stream or any portion of the stream in the county into a district, and appoint overseers to the district, as in the case of public roads.
Code 1858, § 1301 (deriv. Acts 1784 (Oct.), ch. 14, § 16); Shan., § 1810; Code 1932, § 3076; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 70-103.