Entry upon property

(a) The department shall have the right to direct and conduct investigations as it may reasonably deem necessary to carry out its duties as prescribed in this part. For this purpose, the agents or employees of the department or any authorized representatives may enter at reasonable times, without prior notice, any property, public or private, for the purpose of investigating the condition, construction, or operation of any dam, reservoir, or other artificial barrier dealt with in this chapter; provided that if an emergency situation arises as determined by the department, the agents or employees of the department, or any authorized representatives shall have the right to enter without prior notice, any property, public or private, for the purpose of investigating the condition, construction, or operation of any dam, reservoir, or other artificial barrier subject to this chapter, and to take any remedial actions, without a search warrant or liability for trespass. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person to refuse entry or access to any authorized representative of the department who requests entry for purposes of inspection and who presents appropriate credentials. It shall also be unlawful to obstruct, hamper, or interfere with any representative while in the process of carrying out the representative's official duties. (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the board and its agents, engineers, and other employees, for the purposes of enforcing this chapter, may enter upon any land or water in the State that is the subject of an inspection, investigation, or remedial actions without a search warrant or liability for trespass.