---
kind: "section"
citation: "43 U.S.C. § 492"
title: "43"
title_heading: "Public Lands"
number: "492"
heading: "Operation and maintenance charges generally"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/43/492"
units:
  - "Chapter 12 — Reclamation and Irrigation of Lands by Federal Government"
  - "Subchapter XI — Maintenance and Operation of Works Generally"
---

# §492. Operation and maintenance charges generally


In addition to the construction charge, every water-right applicant, entryman, or landowner under or upon a [reclamation project](/usc/43/373c.md?p=2) shall also pay, whenever water service is available for the irrigation of his land, an operation and maintenance charge based upon the total cost of operation and maintenance of the [project](/usc/43/485a.md?p=c), or each separate unit thereof, and such charge shall be made for each acre-foot of water delivered; but each acre of irrigable land, whether irrigated or not, shall be charged with a minimum operation and maintenance charge based upon the charge for delivery of not less than one acre-foot of water. If the total amount of operation and maintenance charges and penalties collected for any one irrigation season on any [project](/usc/43/485a.md?p=c) shall exceed the cost of operation and maintenance of the [project](/usc/43/485a.md?p=c) during that irrigation season, the balance shall be applied to a reduction of the charge on the [project](/usc/43/485a.md?p=c) for the next irrigation season, and any deficit incurred may likewise be added to the charge for the next irrigation season.


## Source credit

(Aug. 13, 1914, ch. 247, § 5, 38 Stat. 687.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section is comprised of part of first sentence and second sentence of section 5 of act Aug. 13, 1914. Remainder of first sentence of such section is classified to section 499 of this title.