Title 25, IndiansRelease 119-102

§385 Maintenance Charges; Reimbursement of Construction Costs; Apportionment of Cost

Title 25 › CHAPTER 11 — IRRIGATION OF ALLOTTED LANDS › § 385

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Interior may set maintenance charges for lands that can be irrigated, and the money must be used to keep that irrigation project or system in good repair. If the Indians have funds to repay the Government, those costs must be repaid under rules the Secretary makes, and the Secretary must divide any repayable project cost among individual Indians according to the benefit each receives.

Full Legal Text

Title 25, §385

Indians, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

For lands irrigable under any irrigation system or reclamation project the Secretary of the Interior may fix maintenance charges which shall be paid as he may direct, such payments to be available for use in maintaining the project or system for which collected: Provided further, That all moneys expended under this provision shall be reimbursable where the Indians have adequate funds to repay the Government, such reimbursements to be made under such rules and regulations as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe: Provided further, That the Secretary of the Interior is authorized and directed to apportion the cost of any irrigation project constructed for Indians and made reimbursable out of tribal funds of said Indians in accordance with the benefits received by each individual Indian so far as practicable from said irrigation project, said cost to be apportioned against such individual Indian under such rules, regulations, and conditions as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section is based on section 1 and 3 of act Apr. 4, 1910, and section 1 of act Aug. 1, 1914. A provision in act Aug. 1, 1914, appropriated a specific sum for the

Construction

, repair, etc., of ditches, reservoirs, etc., and for the pay of designated officials and employees.

Amendments

1982—Pub. L. 97–293 struck out provisions requiring Secretary of the Interior to transmit annual cost accounts to Congress of all moneys expended on each irrigation project. 1946—Act Aug. 7, 1946, discontinued provisions requiring Secretary of the Interior to transmit annual cost accounts to Congress of all moneys expended on each irrigation project.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

25 U.S.C. § 385

Title 25, Indians

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102