---
kind: "section"
citation: "16 U.S.C. § 590z–4"
title: "16"
title_heading: "Conservation"
number: "590z–4"
heading: "Cooperative agreements with other agencies"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/16/590z-4"
units:
  - "Chapter 3C — Water Conservation"
  - "Subchapter II — Conservation and Utilization Projects"
---

# §590z–4. Cooperative agreements with other agencies


The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1), by cooperative agreements, may arrange with the Department of Agriculture or with such other Federal or [State](/usc/16/590q.md?p=a) agencies, as the President may deem desirable, for cooperation in the investigations and surveys of [projects](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4) proposed under the authority of this subchapter; and in connection with any such [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4) which is undertaken the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) by such cooperative agreements may arrange for such cooperation in the construction or operation and maintenance of the [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4) as he deems desirable. Any such cooperative agreement with the Department of Agriculture may provide, among other things (1) that the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of Agriculture shall enter into the repayment contracts, required by [section 590z–2 of this title](/usc/16/590z–2.md) and shall handle the collections of repayments and shall [take](/usc/16/3102.md?p=18) over the other administrative duties connected with the [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4), after the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of the Interior announces that the [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4) is ready for operation; (2) if such agreement be entered into after construction of the [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4) has been undertaken by the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of the Interior and after he has entered into the repayment contracts required by [section 590z–2 of this title](/usc/16/590z–2.md), that the [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of Agriculture shall [take](/usc/16/3102.md?p=18) over the collection of repayments and other administrative duties connected with the [project](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-4); (3) that no water shall be delivered to or for any land or party while the [owner](/usc/16/429b–3.md?p=4) of said land or said party is in arrears for more than twelve months in the payment to the United States of money due and payable under a land contract entered into pursuant to [section 590z–3(a) of this title](/usc/16/590z–3.md?p=a); and (4) that any repayment contract with a water user or water users’ organization entered into pursuant to [section 590z–2 of this title](/usc/16/590z–2.md) and any land contract with the same water user or organization entered into pursuant to [section 590z–3(a) of this title](/usc/16/590z–3.md?p=a), if said contracts involve the same land, may be combined in a single instrument. The [Secretary](/usc/16/410r–5.md?p=c-1) of Agriculture is authorized to carry out the provision of any such cooperative agreements.


## Source credit

(Aug. 11, 1939, ch. 717, § 6, as added Oct. 14, 1940, ch. 861, 54 Stat. 1123.)