N.D. Cent. Code § 61-05-20
An appeal may be taken to the district court from any order or decision of the department of water resources by any person who is aggrieved by the order or decision, at any time within thirty days after the order or decision has been filed with the county auditor of the county in which the appeal is taken. The appeal must be taken by serving notice of appeal on the director of the department of water resources and by filing the notice of appeal, proof of service of the notice, and the undertaking required in this section with the clerk of the district court of the county in which the appeal is taken. To effect an appeal an undertaking must be executed by the appellant and sufficient surety conditioned that the appellant will prosecute the appeal without delay and will pay all costs adjudged against the appellant in the district court. The undertaking must be made in favor of the department of water resources as obligee and may be enforced by the department. The appeal must be taken to the district court of the county in which the land claimed to be affected adversely by the order or decision appealed from is situated. If the land is situated in more than one county, the appeal may be taken to the district court of any county in which any part of the land is situated. Any appeal taken under this section must be docketed in the district court as any civil cause commenced in the district court is docketed. The district court has and shall exercise original jurisdiction in the appeal and shall hear and rule on the case, without a jury, in the same manner as a civil cause originally commenced in that court. The court may require and fix the time for the service and filing of formal pleadings. Appeals to the supreme court may be taken by the department of water resources or any other party to the cause from any judgment entered in the district court and from any order of the court if an appeal would lie from the order if the order were entered by the court in any other civil action.
N.D.C.C. § 61-05-20