Title 25IndiansRelease 119-73

§3801 Findings

Title 25 › Chapter CHAPTER 40— - INDIAN DAMS SAFETY › § 3801

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Congress says the Secretary of the Interior found 53 dams on Indian lands that could endanger people if they failed. Because structural problems and poor upkeep were ignored, many Bureau of Indian Affairs dams are unsafe or have maintenance needs that must be fixed to avoid danger. Safe, working dams are needed for irrigation, flood control, municipal/industrial/domestic/livestock/recreation water, and fish and wildlife habitat. Congress requires a regular dam maintenance and repair program using the Bureau, tribes, and other federal agencies.

Full Legal Text

Title 25, §3801

Indians — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Congress finds that—
(1)the Secretary of the Interior has identified 53 dams on Indian lands that present a threat to human life in the event of a failure;
(2)because of inadequate attention in the past to problems stemming from structural deficiencies and regular maintenance requirements for dams operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, unsafe Bureau dams continue to pose an imminent threat to people and property;
(3)many Bureau dams have maintenance deficiencies regardless of their current safety condition classification and the deficiencies must be corrected to avoid future threats to human life and property;
(4)safe working dams on Indian lands are necessary to supply irrigation water, to provide flood control, to provide water for municipal, industrial, domestic, livestock, and recreation uses, and for fish and wildlife habitats; and
(5)it is necessary to institute a regular dam maintenance and repair program, utilizing the expertise in the Bureau, Indian tribes, and other Federal agencies.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

Pub. L. 103–302, § 1, Aug. 23, 1994, 108 Stat. 1560, provided that: “This Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Indian Dams Safety Act of 1994’.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

25 U.S.C. § 3801

Title 25Indians

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73