Title 43 — Public LandsRelease 119-73
§421 Acquisition of lands for irrigation project; eminent domain
Title 43 › Chapter CHAPTER 12— - RECLAMATION AND IRRIGATION OF LANDS BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - INSTITUTION AND CONSTRUCTION OF PROJECTS › § 421
Summary
When land or rights are needed to carry out the Act, the Secretary of the Interior may buy them or go to court to force the sale. The money for that can come from the reclamation fund. When the Secretary asks, the Attorney General must start the court action within 30 days after the request reaches the Department of Justice.
Full Legal Text
Title 43, §421
Public Lands — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Where, in carrying out the provisions of this Act, it becomes necessary to acquire any rights or property, the Secretary of the Interior is authorized to acquire the same for the United States by purchase or by condemnation under judicial process, and to pay from the reclamation fund the sums which may be needed for that purpose, and it shall be the duty of the Attorney General of the United States upon every application of the Secretary of the Interior, under this Act, to cause proceedings to be commenced for condemnation within thirty days from the receipt of the application at the Department of Justice.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This Act, referred to in text, is act June 17, 1902, popularly known as the Reclamation Act, which is classified generally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 371 of this Title and Tables.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Section as Unaffected by Submerged Lands ActProvisions of this section as not amended, modified, or repealed by the Submerged Lands Act, see section 1303 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
43 U.S.C. § 421
Title 43 — Public Lands
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73