Title 43 — Public LandsRelease 119-73not60

§424a Sale of Unproductive Lands; Terms; Area Purchasable; Tracts Included

Title 43 › Chapter 12— RECLAMATION AND IRRIGATION OF LANDS BY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT › Subchapter V— ADMINISTRATION OF EXISTING PROJECTS › § 424a

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary can sell unproductive land inside federal irrigation projects to farm owners or entrymen who live on that project. Sales must be at least the price of an independent appraisal the Secretary approves. The Secretary sets the sale terms and can hold private sales or public auctions. A buyer under these rules may not buy more than 160 acres, and may not own more than 320 acres on the same project after the purchase. The rule covers land called temporarily or permanently unproductive and any parcel that includes such land and is too small to support a family and pay water charges.

Full Legal Text

Title 43, §424a

Public Lands — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Secretary is authorized to sell such lands to resident farm owners or resident entrymen, on the project upon which such land is located, at prices not less than that fixed by independent appraisal approved by the Secretary, and upon such terms and at private sale or at public auction as he may prescribe: Provided, That no such resident farm owner or resident entryman shall be permitted to purchase under sections 424 to 424e of this title more than one hundred and sixty acres of such land, or an area which, together with land already owned on such Federal irrigation project, shall exceed three hundred and twenty acres: And provided further, That the authority given hereunder shall apply not only to tracts wholly classified as temporarily or permanently unproductive, but also to all tracts of public lands within Federal irrigation projects which by reason of the inclusion of lands classified as temporarily or permanently unproductive are found by the Secretary to be insufficient to support a family and to pay water charges.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

43 U.S.C. § 424a

Title 43 — Public Lands

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60