---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 410aaa–76"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "410aaa–76"
heading: "Federal reserved water rights"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/410aaa-76"
units:
  - "Chapter 1 — National Parks, Military Parks, Monuments, and Seashores"
  - "Subchapter LIX–Y — California Desert Lands Parks, Preserve, and Off-Highway Vehicle Recreation Areas"
  - "Part D — Miscellaneous Provisions"
---

# §410aaa–76. Federal reserved water rights

- (a) **Reservation of sufficient water—** Except as otherwise provided in [section 204](/usc/16/204.md) of this Act, with respect to each [wilderness](/usc/16/3102.md?p=13) [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) designated by this Act, Congress hereby reserves a quantity of water sufficient to fulfill the purposes of this Act. The priority date of such reserved water rights shall be October 31, 1994.
- (b) **Protection of rights reserved—** The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) and all other officers of the United States shall [take](/usc/16/3102.md?p=18) all steps necessary to protect the rights reserved by this section, including the filing by the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of a claim for the quantification of such rights in any present or future appropriate stream adjudication in the courts of the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) of California in which the United States is or may be joined in accordance with [section 666 of title 43](/usc/43/666.md).
- (c) **Relinquishment or reduction of rights—** Nothing in this Act shall be construed as a relinquishment or reduction of any water rights reserved or appropriated by the United States in the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) of California on or before October 31, 1994.
- (d) **Specific reservation—** The Federal water rights reserved by this Act are specific to the [wilderness](/usc/16/3102.md?p=13) [area](/usc/16/539m–1.md?p=1-A) located in the [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) of California designated under this Act. Nothing in this Act related to the reserved Federal water rights shall be construed as establishing a precedent with regard to any future designations, nor shall it constitute an interpretation of any other Act or any designation made thereto.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 103–433, title VII, § 706, Oct. 31, 1994, 108 Stat. 4498.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 204 of this Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is section 204 of Pub. L. 103–433, title II, Oct. 31, 1994, 108 Stat. 4485, which is not classified to the Code.

This Act, referred to in subsecs. (a), (c), and (d), is defined in section 3 of Pub. L. 103–433, which is set out as a Definitions note under section 410aaa of this title.