PUBLIC LAW 97-293—OCT. 12, 1982
96 STAT. 1267
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE CHARGES
SEC. 208. (a) The price of irrigation water delivered by the Secre- 43 USC 390hh. tary pursuant to a contract or an amendment to a contract with a district, as specified in section 203, shall be at least sufficient to recover all operation and maintenance charges which the district is obligated to pay to the United States. O Whenever a district enters into a contract or requests that its W contract be amended as specified in section 203, and each year thereafter, the Secretary shall calculate such operation and maintenance charges and shall modify the price of irrigation water delivered under the contract as necessary to reflect any changes in such costs by amending the district's contract accordingly. (c) This section shall not apply to districts which operate and maintain project facilities and finance the operation and maintenance thereof from non-Federal funds. DISPOSITION OF EXCESS LANDS
SEC. 209. (a) Irrigation water made available in the operation of 43 USC 390ii. reclamation project facilities may not be delivered for use in the irrigation of lands held in excess of the ownership limitations imposed by Federal reclamation law, including this title, unless and until the owners thereof shall have executed a recordable contract with the Secretary, in accordance with the terms and conditions required by Federal reclamation law, requiring the disposal of their interest in such excess lands within a reasonable time to be established by the Secretary. In the case of recordable contracts entered into prior to the date of enactment of this Act, such reasonable time shall not exceed ten years after the recordable contract is executed by the Secretary. In the case of recordable contracts entered into after the date of enactment of this Act, except as provided in section 218, such reasonable time shall not exceed five years after the recordable contract is executed by the Secretary. (b) Lands held in excess of the ownership limitations imposed by Federal reclamation law, including this title, which, on the date of enactment of this Act, are, or are capable of, receiving delivery of irrigation water made available by the operation of existing reclamation project facilities may receive such deliveries only— (1) if the disposal of the owner's interest in such lands is required by an existing recordable contract with the Secretary, or (2) if the owners of such lands have requested that a recordable contract be executed by the Secretary. (c) Recordable contracts existing on the date of enactment of this Act shall be amended at the request of the landowner to conform with the ownership limitations contained in this title: Provided, That the time period for disposal of excess lands specified in the existing recordable contract shall not be extended except as provided in subsection (e). (d) Any recordable contract covering excess lands sales shall provide that a power of attorney shall vest in the Secretary to sell any excess lands not disposed of by the owners thereof within the period of time specified in the recordable contract. In the exercise of that power, the Secretary shall sell such lands through an impartial selection process only to qualified purchasers according to such reasonable rules and regulations as the Secretary may establish:
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