Title 16ConservationRelease 119-73

§590y Authorization and purpose of investigation, construction, and maintenance of projects; title to projects; limitation on costs

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 3C— - WATER CONSERVATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - CONSERVATION AND UTILIZATION PROJECTS › § 590y

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Interior may study, build, run, and maintain water conservation and use projects in the Great Plains and other dry parts of the United States to stabilize water supplies and help farmers stay and settle on the land. The United States keeps ownership of dams, reservoirs, irrigation, and other project works unless Congress changes that. Money spent under the authority in section 590z–10(1) to pay reimbursable irrigation construction costs (as defined in section 590z–2(b)) may not exceed $2,000,000 for dams and reservoirs in any one project. Money under that same authority to meet flood-control costs, after consulting the Chief of Engineers, Department of the Army, may not exceed $500,000 on any one project.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §590y

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

For the purpose of stabilizing water supply and thereby rehabilitating farmers on the land and providing opportunities for permanent settlement of farm families, the Secretary of the Interior (hereinafter referred to as “the Secretary”) is authorized to investigate and, upon compliance with the provisions of this subchapter, to construct water conservation and utilization projects in the Great Plains and arid and semiarid areas of the United States, and to operate and maintain each such project in accordance with the provisions of this subchapter; Provided, That the United States shall retain title to the dams, reservoirs, irrigation, and other project works until Congress otherwise provides: And provided further, That expenditures from appropriations made directly pursuant to the authority contained in section 590z–10(1) of this title to meet reimbursable construction costs allocated to irrigation as defined in section 590z–2(b) of this title shall not exceed $2,000,000 for dams and reservoirs in any one project, and that expenditures from appropriations made directly pursuant to the authority contained in section 590z–10(1) of this title to meet costs allocated to flood control by the Secretary after consultation with the Chief of Engineers, Department of the Army, shall not exceed $500,000 on any one project.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1943—Act July 16, 1943, raised amount of expenditures for dams and reservoirs on any one project from $1,000,000 to $2,000,000. 1942—Act Mar. 7, 1942, amended last proviso. 1940—Act Oct. 14, 1940, reenacted section.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Department of War designated Department of the Army and title of Secretary of War changed to Secretary of the Army by section 205(a) of act
July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, 61 Stat. 501. section 205(a) of act
July 26, 1947, was repealed by section 53 of act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 641. section 1 of act Aug. 10, 1956, enacted “Title 10, Armed Forces” which in sections 3010 to 3013 continued military Department of the Army under administrative supervision of Secretary of the Army. Angostura ProjectAct Aug. 9, 1955, ch. 630, 69 Stat. 552, provided: “That the provisions of section 41(g), 43, and 51 of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act, as amended [section 1015(g), 1017, and 1025 of Title 7, Agriculture], are hereby extended to apply on the obligations of settlers on the Angostura project in South Dakota developed under the Act of
August 11, 1939, as amended [this section].”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 590y

Title 16Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73