§524 — Title 16 Conservation | U.S. Code

Summary

Allows U.S. citizens and U.S. companies to build and keep water projects inside or across national forests—like dams, reservoirs, water plants, ditches, pipes, tunnels, and canals—for city water, mining, and ore-processing uses. These rights last as long as the projects are being used for their intended purpose and must follow rules the Secretary of the Interior sets and the state or territorial laws where the forest is located.

Title 16, §524

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Rights-of-way for the construction and maintenance of dams, reservoirs, water plants, ditches, flumes, pipes, tunnels, and canals, within and across the national forests of the United States, are granted to citizens and corporations of the United States for municipal or mining purposes, and for the purposes of the milling and reduction of ores, during the period of their beneficial use, under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior, and subject to the laws of the State or Territory in which said forests are respectively situated.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Repeals

Section repealed by Pub. L. 94–579, title VII, § 706(a), Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2793, effective on and after Oct. 21, 1976, insofar as applicable to the issuance of rights-of-way over, upon, under, and through the public lands and lands in the National Forest System.

Editorial Notes

Codification “National forests” and “forests” substituted in text for “forest reserves” and “reserves”, respectively, on authority of act Mar. 4, 1907, ch. 2907, 34 Stat. 1269, which provided that forest reserves shall hereafter be known as national forests.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Savings Provision

Repeal by Pub. L. 94–579, title VII, § 706(a), Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2793, insofar as applicable to the issuance of rights-of-way, not to be construed as terminating any valid lease, permit, patent, etc., existing on Oct. 21, 1976, see note set out under section 1701 of Title 43, Public Lands.

§524 Rights-of-way for Dams, Reservoirs, or Water Plants for Municipal, Mining, and Milling Purposes