30 U.S.C. § 52 (2024)

This is the official text of 30 U.S.C. § 52 (2024), part of Federal (US Code)’s United States Code — the codified general and permanent federal statutes of the United States, organized into more than 50 numbered titles by subject.

Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Patents or homesteads subject to vested and accrued water rights

Official statutory text

All patents granted, or homesteads allowed, shall be subject to any vested and accrued water rights, or rights to ditches and reservoirs used in connection with such water rights,1 as may have been acquired under or recognized by section 51 of this title.

(R.S. §2340; Mar. 3, 1891, ch. 561, §4, 26 Stat. 1097.)

Editorial Notes

Codification

R.S. §2340 derived from act July 9, 1870, ch. 235, §17, 16 Stat. 218.

Section is also set out as the second par. of section 661 of Title 43, Public Lands.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Repeal; Savings Provision

Provision of this section, ", or rights to ditches and reservoirs used in connection with such water rights," was repealed by Pub. L. 94–579, title VII, §706(a), Oct. 21, 1976, 90 Stat. 2793, effective on and after Oct. 21, 1976, insofar as applicable to the issuance of rights-of-way over, upon, under, and through the public lands and lands in the National Forest System. Such repeal not to be construed as terminating any valid lease, permit, patent, etc., existing on Oct. 21, 1976, see section 701 of Pub. L. 94–579, set out as a note under section 1701 of Title 43, Public Lands.

Submerged Lands Act

Provisions of this section as not amended, modified or repealed by the Submerged Lands Act, see section 1303 of Title 43, Public Lands.

1 See Repeal; Savings Provision note below.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

Need a lawyer in Federal (US Code)?

Find a Federal (US Code) lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.