Title 33Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-73

§2333 Irrigation diversion protection and fisheries enhancement assistance

Title 33 › Chapter CHAPTER 36— - WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER V— - GENERAL PROVISIONS › § 2333

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary may provide planning help and do site studies to design fish screens, fish passages, and other fixes to keep juvenile and adult fish from getting into irrigation systems. Work must be done with Federal and State agencies and must not reduce normal irrigation water withdrawals. Priority goes to endangered species protection, cost-effectiveness, and lowering fish deaths. Non‑Federal partners must pay 50%; at most half of that can be in-kind. No construction is allowed. Not later than 2 years after August 17, 1999, the Secretary must report to Congress on fish deaths from irrigation intakes, ways to reduce them, how much those methods are used in arid States, their construction costs, and any appropriate Federal role.

Full Legal Text

Title 33, §2333

Navigation and Navigable Waters — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary may provide technical planning and design assistance to non-Federal interests and may conduct other site-specific studies to formulate and evaluate fish screens, fish passages devices, and other measures to decrease the incidence of juvenile and adult fish inadvertently entering irrigation systems.
(b)Measures under subsection (a)—
(1)shall be developed in cooperation with Federal and State resource agencies; and
(2)shall not impair the continued withdrawal of water for irrigation purposes.
(c)In providing assistance under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give priority based on—
(1)the objectives of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);
(2)cost-effectiveness; and
(3)the potential for reducing fish mortality.
(d)(1)The non-Federal share of the cost of measures under subsection (a) shall be 50 percent.
(2)Not more than 50 percent of the non-Federal contribution may be made through the provision of services, materials, supplies, or other in-kind contributions.
(e)This section does not authorize any construction activity.
(f)Not later than 2 years after August 17, 1999, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on—
(1)fish mortality caused by irrigation water intake devices;
(2)appropriate measures to reduce fish mortality;
(3)the extent to which those measures are currently being employed in arid States;
(4)the construction costs associated with those measures; and
(5)the appropriate Federal role, if any, to encourage the use of those measures.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Endangered Species Act of 1973, referred to in subsec. (c)(1), is Pub. L. 93–205, Dec. 28, 1973, 87 Stat. 884, which is classified generally to chapter 35 (§ 1531 et seq.) of Title 16, Conservation. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1531 of Title 16 and Tables. Codification Section was enacted as part of the Water Resources Development Act of 1999, and not as part of the Water Resources Development Act of 1986 which comprises this chapter.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

“Secretary” Defined Secretary means the Secretary of the Army, see section 2 of Pub. L. 106–53, set out as a note under section 2201 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

33 U.S.C. § 2333

Title 33Navigation and Navigable Waters

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73