Newlands Reclamation Act - Summary of The Act

Summary of The Act

The full name of the act is "An Act Appropriating the receipts from the sale and disposal of public lands in certain States and Territories to the construction of irrigation works for the reclamation of arid lands".

Section One
This section identifies the 16 states and territories to be included in the project; Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. It requires surplus fees from sales of land be set aside for a "reclamation fund" for the development of water resources. Also requires the Treasury Department to fund education from unappropriated monies under certain conditions.

Section Two
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to determine the reclamation projects.

Section Three
Requires the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw all such land from public entry.

Section Four
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to contract for the project with certain conditions. Also requires that the work day will be 8 hours and that no so-called Mongolian labor (unskilled laborers from Asia) will be used.

Section Five
Sets certain requirements for those using the water, including; half of the land must be for agriculture, user must pay apportioned charges, user cannot use more than the apportioned water, user cannot sell entire water to one neighbor or any water to a non-resident, and user must pay apportioned charges annually.

Section Six
Authorizes to Secretary of the Interior to use the reclamation fund for all works constructed under the act and to pass management of projects over to the users once they have paid.

Section Seven
Gives the Secretary of the Interior the power of Eminent Domain for construction projects.

Section Eight
Requires the Secretary of the Interior to conform to state laws with certain exceptions.

Section Nine
Requires the Secretary of the Interior to expend monies generated by each state within that state as much as is practicable.

Section Ten
Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to make such rules and regulation as is necessary to carry out the provisions of the act.

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