Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-102
§481 Use of Waters
Title 16 › CHAPTER 2 — NATIONAL FORESTS › SUBCHAPTER I — ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION › § 481
Summary
Water inside national forest boundaries can be used for household needs, mining, milling, or irrigation if those uses are allowed by the laws of the state where the forest is located or by federal law and its rules.
Full Legal Text
Title 16, §481
Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
All waters within the boundaries of national forests may be used for domestic, mining, milling, or irrigation purposes, under the laws of the State wherein such national forests are situated, or under the laws of the United States and the rules and regulations established thereunder.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification “National forests” substituted in text for “reservations” and “forest reservations” on authority of act Mar. 4, 1907, ch. 2907, 34 Stat. 1269, which provided that forest reserves shall hereafter be known as national forests.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
16 U.S.C. § 481
Title 16, Conservation
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102