Title 43 — Public LandsRelease 119-73
§451h Establishment of farm units; size; contiguous or noncontiguous
Title 43 › Chapter CHAPTER 12— - RECLAMATION AND IRRIGATION OF LANDS BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER VII— - EXCHANGE AND AMENDMENT OF FARM UNITS › § 451h
Summary
The Secretary may create farm units when land studies show it is needed to give families enough land to farm. Each unit can be up to 320 acres, with no more than 160 irrigable acres (able to be watered). People may enter and be assigned these units under the homestead laws, and may retain and be assigned them under the desert land laws. The land in a unit can be next to each other or in separate pieces.
Full Legal Text
Title 43, §451h
Public Lands — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
In administering section 434, 448, and 544 of this title, the Secretary may, to the extent found necessary as shown by a land classification to provide farm units sufficient in size to support a family, establish such units of not more than three hundred and twenty acres containing not more than one hundred and sixty irrigable acres designated by him and may permit entry and assignment under the homestead laws, and retention and assignment under the desert land laws, of such units. The lands included in farm units established pursuant to the authority of this section and entered under the homestead laws may be contiguous or noncontiguous.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
43 U.S.C. § 451h
Title 43 — Public Lands
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73