---
kind: "section"
citation: "43 U.S.C. § 494"
title: "43"
title_heading: "Public Lands"
number: "494"
heading: "Pecuniary penalty for nonpayment of operation charge"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/43/494"
units:
  - "Chapter 12 — Reclamation and Irrigation of Lands by Federal Government"
  - "Subchapter XI — Maintenance and Operation of Works Generally"
---

# §494. Pecuniary penalty for nonpayment of operation charge


If any operation or maintenance charge is unpaid on the 1st day of the third calendar month after it became due a penalty of 1 per centum of the amount unpaid shall be added thereto, and thereafter an additional penalty of one-half of 1 per centum of the amount unpaid shall be added on the 1st day of each calendar month if such charge and penalties shall remain unpaid.


## Source credit

(Aug. 13, 1914, ch. 247, § 6, 38 Stat. 688; Dec. 5, 1924, ch. 4, § 4, subsec. H, 43 Stat. 703.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section is comprised of part of first sentence of section 6 of act Aug. 13, 1914. Remainder of first sentence of such section 6 is classified to sections 479, 493 and 495 of this title; second and third sentences of such section 6 are classified to sections 496 and 497 of this title, respectively.

Act Dec. 5, 1924, reduced the additional penalty from 1 per centum to one-half of 1 per centum.