---
kind: "section"
citation: "30 U.S.C. § 1307"
title: "30"
title_heading: "Mineral Lands and Mining"
number: "1307"
heading: "Water rights and replacement"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/30/1307"
units:
  - "Chapter 25 — Surface Mining Control and Reclamation"
  - "Subchapter VII — Administrative and Miscellaneous Provisions"
---

# §1307. Water rights and replacement

- (a) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as affecting in any way the right of any [person](/usc/30/1291.md?p=19) to enforce or protect, under applicable law, his interest in water resources affected by a surface coal mining operation.
- (b) The [operator](/usc/30/1291.md?p=13) of a surface coal mine shall replace the water supply of an owner of interest in real property who obtains all or part of his supply of water for domestic, agricultural, industrial, or other legitimate use from an underground or surface source where such supply has been affected by contamination, diminution, or interruption proximately resulting from such surface coal mine operation.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 95–87, title VII, § 717, Aug. 3, 1977, 91 Stat. 526.)