Title 43, Public LandsRelease 119-110
§145 Sale of Lands Withdrawn
Title 43 › CHAPTER 6 — WITHDRAWAL FROM SETTLEMENT, LOCATION, SALE, OR ENTRY › § 145
Summary
The Interior Secretary can appraise and sell lands from sections 141 and 142 used for water exploration with U.S.-paid improvements when no longer needed. Sale must be at public auction to the highest U.S. citizen bidder for at least appraised value after posting and a 30-day newspaper notice.
Full Legal Text
Title 43, §145
Public Lands, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whenever in the opinion of the Secretary of the Interior any lands which have been withdrawn under the provisions of section 141 and 142 of this title for the purpose of exploratory drilling to discover water supplies for irrigation or other purposes, and which have had wells or other permanent improvements placed thereon by and at the expense of the United States are no longer needed for the purpose for which they were withdrawn and improved, the Secretary of the Interior may appraise the lands, together with the improvements thereon, and thereafter sell the same to a citizen of the United States for not less than the appraised value at public auction to the highest bidder, after giving public notice of the time and place of sale by posting upon the land and publication for not less than thirty days in a newspaper of general circulation in the vicinity of the land.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
section 141 of this title, referred to in text, was repealed by Pub. L. 94–579, title VII, § 704(a), Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2792.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
43 U.S.C. § 145
Title 43, Public Lands
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110