--- kind: "section" citation: "42 U.S.C. § 10362" title: "42" title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare" number: "10362" heading: "Definitions" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/10362" units: - "Chapter 109B — Secure Water" --- # §10362. Definitions In this chapter: - (1) **Administrator—** The term “Administrator” means the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. - (2) **Advisory Committee—** The term “Advisory Committee” means the National Advisory Committee on Water Information established— - (A) under the Office of Management and Budget Circular 92–01; and - (B) to coordinate water data collection activities. - (3) **Assessment program—** The term “assessment program” means the water availability and use assessment program established by the [Secretary](#18-A) under [section 10368(a) of this title](/usc/42/10368.md?p=a). - (4) **Climate division—** The term “climate division” means 1 of the 359 divisions in the United States that represents 2 or more regions located within a [State](/usc/42/2021b.md?p=14) that are as climatically homogeneous as possible, as determined by the [Administrator](#1). - (5) **Commissioner—** The term “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Reclamation. - (6) **Director—** The term “Director” means the Director of the United States Geological Survey. - (7) **Eligible applicant—** The term “eligible applicant” means— - (A) any [State](/usc/42/2021b.md?p=14), [Indian tribe](#10), irrigation district, or water district; - (B) any [State](/usc/42/2021b.md?p=14), regional, or local authority, the members of which include 1 or more organizations with water or power delivery authority; - (C) any other organization with water or power delivery authority; and - (D) any [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) conservation organization, if— - (i) the [nonprofit](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=3) conservation organization is acting in partnership with and with the agreement of an entity described in subparagraph [(A)](#7-A), [(B)](#7-B), or [(C)](#7-C); or - (ii) in the case of an application for a [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) to improve the condition of a [natural feature](#13) or [nature-based feature](#14) on Federal land, the entities described in subparagraph [(A)](#7-A), [(B)](#7-B), or [(C)](#7-C) from the applicable [service area](#19) have been notified of the [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) application and there is no written objection to the [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2). - (8) **Federal Power Marketing Administration—** The term “Federal Power Marketing Administration” means— - (A) the Bonneville Power Administration; - (B) the Southeastern Power Administration; - (C) the Southwestern Power Administration; and - (D) the Western Area Power Administration. - (9) **Hydrologic accounting unit—** The term “hydrologic accounting unit” means 1 of the 352 river basin hydrologic accounting units used by the United States Geological Survey. - (10) **Indian tribe—** The term “Indian tribe” has the meaning given the term in [section 5304 of title 25](/usc/25/5304.md). - (11) **Major aquifer system—** The term “major aquifer system” means a groundwater system that is— - (A) identified as a significant groundwater system by the [Director](#6); and - (B) included in the Groundwater Atlas of the United States, published by the United States Geological Survey. - (12) **Major reclamation river basin—** - (A) **In general—** The term “major reclamation river basin” means each major river system (including tributaries)— - (i) that is located in a [service area](#19) of the Bureau of Reclamation; and - (ii) at which is located a federally authorized [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) of the Bureau of Reclamation. - (B) **Inclusions—** The term “[major reclamation river basin](#12-A)” includes— - (i) the Colorado River; - (ii) the Columbia River; - (iii) the Klamath River; - (iv) the Missouri River; - (v) the Rio Grande; - (vi) the Sacramento River; - (vii) the San Joaquin River; and - (viii) the Truckee River. - (13) **Natural feature—** The term “natural feature” means a feature that is created through the action of physical, geological, biological, and chemical processes over time. - (14) **Nature-based feature—** The term “nature-based feature” means a feature that is created by human design, engineering, and [construction](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=7) to provide a means to reduce water supply and demand imbalances or drought or flood risk by acting in concert with natural processes. - (15) **Non-Federal participant—** The term “non-Federal participant” means— - (A) a [State](/usc/42/2021b.md?p=14), regional, or local authority; - (B) an [Indian tribe](#10) or tribal organization; or - (C) any other qualifying entity, such as a water conservation district, water conservancy district, or rural water district or association, or a nongovernmental organization. - (16) **Panel—** The term “panel” means the climate change and water intragovernmental panel established by the [Secretary](#18-A) under [section 10366(a) of this title](/usc/42/10366.md?p=a). - (17) **Program—** The term “program” means the regional integrated sciences and assessments program— - (A) established by the [Administrator](#1); and - (B) that is comprised of 8 regional [programs](#17) that use advances in integrated climate sciences to assist decisionmaking processes. - (18) **Secretary—** - (A) **In general—** Except as provided in [subparagraph (B)](#18-B), the term “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Interior. - (B) **Exceptions—** The term “[Secretary](#18-A)” means— - (i) in the case of sections [10363](/usc/42/10363.md), [10364](/usc/42/10364.md), and [10369](/usc/42/10369.md) of this title, the [Secretary](#18-A) of the Interior (acting through the [Commissioner](#5)); and - (ii) in the case of sections [10367](/usc/42/10367.md) and [10368](/usc/42/10368.md) of this title, the [Secretary](#18-A) of the Interior (acting through the [Director](#6)). - (19) **Service area—** The term “service area” means any area that encompasses a watershed that contains a federally authorized reclamation [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) that is located in any [State](/usc/42/2021b.md?p=14) or area described in [section 391 of title 43](/usc/43/391.md). ## Source credit (Pub. L. 111–11, title IX, § 9502, Mar. 30, 2009, 123 Stat. 1330; Pub. L. 116–260, div. FF, title XI, § 1106(a), Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 3240.) ## Notes ### Editorial Notes ### Amendments 2020—Pub. L. 116–260, § 1106(a)(1), substituted “chapter” for “section” in introductory provisions. Par. (7). Pub. L. 116–260, § 1106(a)(2), added par. (7) and struck out former par. (7). Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The term ‘eligible applicant’ means any State, Indian tribe, irrigation district, water district, or other organization with water or power delivery authority.” Par. (10). Pub. L. 116–260, § 1106(a)(3), made technical amendment to reference in original act which appears in text as a reference to section 5304 of title 25. Pars. (13) to (19). Pub. L. 116–260, § 1106(a)(4), (5), added pars. (13) and (14) and redesignated former pars. (13) to (17) as (15) to (19), respectively.