---
kind: "section"
citation: "33 U.S.C. § 598b"
title: "33"
title_heading: "Navigation and Navigable Waters"
number: "598b"
heading: "Minimum real estate interest"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/33/598b"
units:
  - "Chapter 12 — River and Harbor Improvements Generally"
  - "Subchapter III — Acquisition of Land and Materials"
---

# §598b. Minimum real estate interest

- (a) **Real estate plan—** The [Secretary](/usc/33/426h–1.md?p=2) shall provide to the non-Federal interest for an authorized water resources development project a real estate plan for the project that includes a description of the real estate interests required for construction, operation and maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of the project, including any specific details and legal requirements necessary for implementation of the project.
- (b) **Identification of minimum interest—**
  - (1) **In general—** For each authorized water resources development project for which an interest in real property is required for any applicable construction, operation and maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, or replacement, the [Secretary](/usc/33/426h–1.md?p=2) shall identify the minimum interest in the property necessary to carry out the applicable activity.
  - (2) **Determination—** In carrying out [paragraph (1)](#b-1), the [Secretary](/usc/33/426h–1.md?p=2) shall identify an interest that is less than fee simple title in cases where the [Secretary](/usc/33/426h–1.md?p=2) determines that—
    - (A) such an interest is sufficient for construction, operation and maintenance, repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of the applicable project; and
    - (B) the non-Federal interest cannot legally make available to the [Secretary](/usc/33/426h–1.md?p=2) an interest in fee simple title for purposes of the project.
- (c) **Requirement—** The non-Federal interest for an authorized water resources development project shall provide for the project an interest in the applicable real property that is the minimum interest identified under [subsection (b)](#b).
- (d) **Annual report—** The [Secretary](/usc/33/426h–1.md?p=2) shall annually submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate a report containing—
  - (1) a summary of all instances in which the [Secretary](/usc/33/426h–1.md?p=2) identified under [subsection (b)](#b) fee simple title as the minimum interest necessary with respect to an activity for which the non-Federal interest requested the use of an interest less than fee simple title; and
  - (2) with respect to each such instance, a description of the legal requirements that resulted in identifying fee simple title as the minimum interest.
- (e) **Existing agreements—** At the request of a non-Federal interest, an agreement entered into under [section 1962d–5b of title 42](/usc/42/1962d–5b.md) between the [Secretary](/usc/33/426h–1.md?p=2) and the non-Federal interest before January 4, 2025, may be amended to reflect the requirements of this section.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 118–272, div. A, title I, § 1104, Jan. 4, 2025, 138 Stat. 3000.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### “Secretary” Defined

Secretary means the Secretary of the Army, see section 1002 of div. A of Pub. L. 118–272, set out as a note under section 2201 of this title.