Title 33 — Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-73not60
§602 Maintenance of Channel of South Pass of Mississippi River
Title 33 › Chapter 12— RIVER AND HARBOR IMPROVEMENTS GENERALLY › Subchapter IV— PARTICULAR WORK OR IMPROVEMENTS › § 602
Summary
When the contract with the late James B. Eads ends, the Secretary of the Army must take charge of the South Pass channel, its jetties, and related works and keep them well maintained. He can draw money from the U.S. Treasury for that work, up to $100,000 each year, and may use any available government dredge, until the law says otherwise. To keep surveys and examinations going, the Secretary can also get up to $10,000 per year from the Treasury when the Chief of Engineers asks.
Full Legal Text
Title 33, §602
Navigation and Navigable Waters — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Upon the termination of the contract entered into with the late James B. Eads for the maintenance of the channel through the South Pass of the Mississippi River, the Secretary of the Army is directed to take charge of said channel, including the jetties, and all auxiliary works connected therewith, and thereafter to maintain with the utmost efficiency said South Pass Channel; and for that purpose he is authorized to draw his warrants from time to time on the Treasurer of the United States, until otherwise provided for by law, for such sums of money as may be necessary, not to exceed in the aggregate for any one year $100,000. For that purpose any available Government dredge may be used. For the purpose of securing the uninterrupted examinations and surveys of the South Pass of the Mississippi River, the Secretary of the Army, upon the application of the Chief of Engineers, is authorized to draw his warrant or requisition from time to time upon the Secretary of the Treasury for such sums as may be necessary to do such work, not to exceed in the aggregate for each year the sum of $10,000.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
Codification Except for the last sentence, the first paragraph of this section was from a part of section 3 of act
June 6, 1900. The omitted portion of the original text authorized the Secretary of War, in his discretion, to terminate the contract with James B. Eads and provided that the Secretary of War should take charge of the channel “in case of the termination of said contract, by virtue of the provisions hereof or by expiration of said contract.” The last sentence of the first paragraph of this section was from a provision of section 1 of act
June 13, 1902. Further provisions of the original text, for the purchase of lands and buildings on either side of the South Pass, were temporary merely and are omitted. The original text provided for the use of “the dredge boat Beta, or any other available government dredge.” The second paragraph of this section was from section 4 of act Aug. 11, 1888. In the original text, following the words “Mississippi river,” the following words appeared: “As provided for in the Act of Mar. third, eighteen hundred and seventy-five.” The words “the sum of $10,000,” are substituted for “the amount appropriated in this act for such purpose.” $10,000 was the amount appropriated for such purpose by section 1 of act
June 13, 1902. Act Mar. 3, 1875, ch. 134, mentioned in the original text, provided in section 4 et seq., 18 Stat. 463 to 466, for a contract with James B. Eads and others to construct jetties, etc., to maintain the channel at the South Pass. The provisions of that act and of act Aug. 11, 1888, with regard to examinations and surveys at the South Pass, remained in force notwithstanding the termination of said contract, by a provision of act
June 13, 1902.
Amendments
1954—Act Aug. 30, 1954, repealed proviso requiring that an itemized statement of expenses incurred for maintenance of the channel through, and securing uninterrupted examinations and surveys of, the South Pass of the Mississippi River, as provided in this section, should accompany the annual report of the Chief of Engineers.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Change of Name
Department of War designated Department of the Army and title of Secretary of War changed to Secretary of the Army by section 205(a) of act
July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, 61 Stat. 501. section 205(a) of act
July 26, 1947, was repealed by section 53 of act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 641. section 1 of act Aug. 10, 1956, enacted “Title 10, Armed Forces” which in sections 3010 to 3013 continued Department of the Army under administrative supervision of Secretary of the Army. AppropriationsAct
June 26, 1934, ch. 756, § 2, 48 Stat. 1225, which was classified to section 725a of former Title 31, Money and Finance, repealed the permanent appropriation under the titles “Maintenance of channel, South Pass, Mississippi River (fiscal year) (8–961.55)” and “Examinations and surveys at South Pass, Mississippi River (fiscal year) (8–961.53)” effective
July 1, 1935, and provided that such portions of any Acts as make permanent appropriations to be expended under such accounts are amended so as to authorize, in lieu thereof, annual appropriations from the general fund of the Treasury in identical terms and in such amounts as now provided by the laws providing such permanent appropriations.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
33 U.S.C. § 602
Title 33 — Navigation and Navigable Waters
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60