Title 33Navigation and Navigable WatersRelease 119-73not60

§703 Sacramento River, California

Title 33 › Chapter 15— FLOOD CONTROL › § 703

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of the Army must carry out the California Debris Commission’s plans from its reports dated August 10, 1910, and February 8, 1913, to control floods, remove debris, and improve the Sacramento River by straightening and widening channels and building weirs. The work will be paid from money Congress provides, but total federal spending cannot go above $5,600,000 and no more than $1,000,000 may be spent in any one fiscal year. All federal money must be spent under the Secretary’s direction and follow the commission’s plans as approved by the Chief of Engineers. California must agree to pay each year an amount equal to what the United States spends that year until the State’s total reaches $5,600,000; the State will not have to pay more in any single year than the United States pays that year. State payments are spent under the commission’s direction. The federal government will not buy rights-of-way, easements, or land; those must be provided free to the United States and are not counted as the State’s contribution. When the flood works are finished, they must be turned over to California to maintain, while the United States keeps other control rights it has.

Full Legal Text

Title 33, §703

Navigation and Navigable Waters — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

[Flood-control works authorized.] For controlling the floods, removing the débris, and continuing the improvement of the Sacramento River, California, in accordance with the plans of the California Débris Commission, the Secretary of the Army is authorized and directed to carry on continuously, by hired labor or otherwise, the plan of said commission contained in its report submitted August 10, 1910, and printed in House Document Numbered 81, Sixty-second Congress, first session, as modified by the report of said commission submitted February 8, 1913, approved by the Chief of Engineers of the United States Army and the Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors, and printed in Rivers and Harbors Committee Document Numbered 5, Sixty-third Congress, first session, insofar as said plan provides for the rectification and enlargement of river channels and the construction of weirs, to be paid for as appropriations may from time to time be made by law, not to exceed in the aggregate $5,600,000: Provided, That not more than $1,000,000 shall be expended therefor during any one fiscal year. [Limitation on expenditure of appropriations generally.] (a) All money appropriated under authority of this section shall be expended under the direction of the Secretary of the Army, in accordance with the plans, specifications, and recommendations of the California Débris Commission, as approved by the Chief of Engineers, for the control of floods, removal of débris, and the general improvement of the Sacramento River: Provided, That no money shall be expended under authority of this section until assurances have been given satisfactory to the Secretary of the Army (a) that the State of California will contribute annually for such work a sum equal to such sum as may be expended annually therefor by the United States under authority of this section; (b) that such equal contributions by the State of California will continue annually until the full equal share of the cost of such work shall have been contributed by said State; and (c) that the river levees contemplated in the report of the California Débris Commission, dated August 10, 1910, will be constructed to such grade and section and within such time as may be required by said commission: Provided further, That said State shall not be required to expend for such work, for any one year, a sum larger than that expended thereon by the United States during the same year: And provided further, That the total contributions so required of the State of California shall not exceed in the aggregate $5,600,000. [Expenditure of contributions by State of California; acquisition of sites, easements, etc.] (b) All money contributed by the State of California, as herein provided, shall be expended under the direction of the California Débris Commission and in such manner as it may require or approve, and no money appropriated under authority of this section shall be expended in the purchase of or payment for any right-of-way, easement, or land acquired for the purposes of this improvement, but all such rights-of-way, easements, and lands shall be provided free of cost to the United States: Provided, That no money paid or expense incurred therefor shall be computed as a part of the contribution of the State of California toward the work of improvement herein provided for within the meaning of paragraph (a) of this section. [Maintenance of works for flood control by State of California.] (c) Upon the completion of all works for flood control herein authorized the said works shall be turned over to the State of California for maintenance thereafter; but for all other purposes the United States shall retain such control over the same as it may have the right to exercise upon such completion.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

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. Termination of Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors and Reassignment of Duties and Responsibilities For termination of Board of Engineers for Rivers and Harbors 180 days after Oct. 31, 1992, and reassignment of duties and responsibilities by Secretary of Army, see section 223 of Pub. L. 102–580, set out as a note under section 541 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

33 U.S.C. § 703

Title 33Navigation and Navigable Waters

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60