400?

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 400

History of Land Classification 

Relating to Waterpower 

and Storage Sites
HISTORY OF LAND CLASSIFICATION RELATING 

TO WATERPOWER AND STORAGE SITES

By F. F. Lawrence, C. £. Nordeen, and H. L. Pumphrey

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 400

Washington, D. C., 1957
United States Department of the Interior

STEWART L. UDALL, SECRETARY

Geological Survey

THOMAS B. NOLAN, DIRECTOR

REVISED 1963 

REPRINTED 1964,1965

Free on application to the U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, D. C. 20242
HISTORY OF LAND CLASSIFICATION RELATING 

TO WATERPOWER AND STORAGE SITES

By F. F. Lawrence, C. E. Nordeen, and H. L. Pomphrey

CONTENTS

Abstract . . 

Introduction. 

Discussion .

Page

1

1

2

Page

Annotated chronological list of waterpower and 

reservoir classification laws and executive 

orders, an4 departmental orders ,.,... 5

ABSTRACT

Segregation of lands having value for development 

of water resources was first undertaken following the 

act of October 2, 1888 which provided for the withdrawal of reservoir sites and lands adjacent, or near, 

which would be susceptible of irrigation. This activity 

was'curtailed by the act of August 30, 1890 which repealed the act of October 2, 1888 to the extent that 

only actual sites of reservoirs were retained in a 

withdrawn status. The act of March 3, 1891 was designed to reduce lands in withdrawal to the minimum 

required for storage purposes, and insofar as practical to exclude lands occupied by settlers on the date 

of the withdrawal of the reservoir site.

Segregation of lands into reserves as a means of 

protecting their water resources values was again 

undertaken in 1909 with the reservation of nearly ifc 

million acres in temporary power site withdrawals. 

These withdrawals were confirmed under the authority 

of an act of June 25, 1910, and were made permanent 

power site reserves by executive orders of July 2, 

1910. Lands valuable for waterpower were withdrawn 

as power site reserves under this act until 1920. 

Another act of June 25, 1910 provides the authority 

for withdrawal of Indian lands for power site purposes.

Valuable power sites in Arizona and New Mexico 

were so designated by the Geological Survey for the 

Secretary of the Interior as required by Congress in 

the Statehood Enabling Act of June 20, 1910. Similar 

"designations" were made for the revested andreconveyed lands of the Oregon and California Railroad 

Company and the Coos Bay Wagon Road as required 

by the acts of June 9, ,1916 and February 26, 1919.

Section 24 of the Federal Water Power Act of 

1920, as amended by the Federal Power Act of 1935, 

provides a means whereby lands withdrawn because 

of their potential wateroower value can be made available for other uses, with the power rights retained 

by the Government, until such time as they are required for waterpower development. Since passage 

of this act, public domain lands, with few exceptions, 

have been classified for power purposes by orders 

of Power Site Classification under the Organic Act 

of the Geological Survey which gives them the protection of the full force and effect of Section 24 of 

the Federal Power Act. These orders are initiated 

by the Director of the Geological Survey and approved 

by the Secretary of the Interior.

Lands which are within a reservoir site which 

can potentially contribute^*) waterpower development 

may be classified as a power site. Where potential 

power value is clearly subordinate to flood control, 

irrigation^ or other storage values and development 

would not be justified for waterpower alone, the lands 

may be withdrawn in a Reservoir Site Reserve under 

the act of June 25, 1910.

Withdrawals and classifications of public land for 

waterpower purposes are revoked by the Secretary 

of the Interior, on the recommendation of the Geological Survey, through the medium of Public Land Orders.

INTRODUCTION

The authorities providing,the basis for withdrawal 

or classification of the public domain of the United 

States for waterpower and reservoir sites were designed to meet the requirements of certain stages in 

the growth of the electric power industry and the expanding needs for water conservation. As a result 

of this narrow approach to the problem of protecting 

this portion of our natural, resources, various acts 

were passed by Congress which were designed to 

reserve such lands, each of which was a product of 

the specific need at the time at whictvit was enacted.

This report summarizes the laws and directives 

which have been used in the past, and are now being 

used, to effect the withdrawal or classification of 

public lands for waterpower and reservoir purposes.
The purpose of this report is to present these in such 

a manner that the history of land classification for 

water resources values will be clear to those who 

have a responsibility for administration of the public 

lands.

DISCUSSION

The act of March 3, 1879 which created the Geological Survey charged the Director with the task of 

classifying the public lands. The first classifications 

of lands for water resources values were made after 

passage of the act of October 2, 1888 which reads in 

part as follows:

"Storage reservoirs in arid regions. 

"Investigation.

"For the purpose of investigating the extent to 

which the arid region of the United States can be redeemed by irrigation, and the segregation of the irrigable lands in such arid region, and for the selection of sites for reservoirs and other hydraulic works 

necessary for the storage and utilization of water 

for irrigation and the prevention of floods and overflows, *. And all the lands which may hereafter be 

designated or selected by such United States surveys 

for sites for reservoirs, ditches, or canals for irrigation purposes and all the lands made susceptible 

of irrigation by such reservoirs, ditches, or canals 

are from this time henceforth hereby reserved from 

sale as the property of the United States, and shall 

not be subject after the passage of this act, to entry, 

settlement, or occupation until further provided by 

law".

A number of withdrawals were made under this 

act shortly after its passage, but considerable resistance soon arose because large areas adjacent to 

the reservoir sites were withdrawn for irrigation 

projects and were no longer available for settlement. 

These were often the best farmlands and there was 

no legal method of permitting their use for farming 

or other purposes pending construction of the prospective project. As a result of dissatisfaction with 

these withdrawals, Congress in the Sundry Civil 

Appropriation Act of August 30, 1890 made the following provision in the Section on Topographic Survey:

"Topographic Surveys.

"For topographic surveys in various portions of 

the United States, three hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, one-half of which sum shall be expended 

west of the one hundredth meridian; and so much of the 

act of October second, eighteen hundred and eightyeight, entitled 'An act making appropriations for sundry 

civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year 

ending June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and eightynine, and for other purposes,' as provides for the 

withdrawal of the public lands from entry, occupation 

and settlement, is hereby repealed, and all entries 

made or claims initiated in good faith and valid but 

for said act, shall be recognized and may be perfected 

in the same manner as if said law had not been enacted, 

except that reservoir sites heretofore located or 

selected shall remain segregated and reserved from 

entry or settlement, as provided by said act, until 

otherwise provided by law, and reservoir sites hereafter located or selected on public lands shall in like

manner be reserved from the date of the location or 

selection thereof."

The withdrawals under the act of October 2, 1888 

were further limited by an act approved March 3, 1891 

entitled "An act to repeal the timber culture laws and 

for other purposes." One section of this act reads in 

part as follows:

"Limit on reservoir sites.

"Sec. 17. That reservoir sites located or selected 

and to be located and selected under the provisions of 

'An act making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the fiscal year ending 

June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and eighty-nine, and 

for other purposes,' and amendments thereto, shall be 

restricted to and shall contain only so much land as 

is actually necessary for the construction and maintenance of reservoirs, excluding so far as practicable 

lands occupied by actual settlers at the date of the 

location of said reservoirs."

Lands withdrawn under the act of October 2,1888 

which remained in withdrawal after the adjustments 

resulting from the acts of August 30,1890 and March 3, 

1891 and subsequent executive orders are still withdrawn.

By 1909 it became apparent that many of the best 

hydroelectric power sites were being transferred from 

the public domain to private individuals and corporations through the use of land script, homesteads, and 

by other means. In a letter dated April 23, 1909, the 

Secretary of the Interior instructed the Director of the 

Geological Survey to investigate waterpower sites on 

the public domain and to recommend their temporary 

withdrawal pending legislative action by the Congress. 

This letter is quoted as follows:

"You will please immediately detail such employee or employees of your service as are available 

to make an investigation of water-power sites on the 

public domain, outside of national forests, which are 

not included within withdrawals for reclamation purposes, with the view of securing at the next session 

of Congress legislation to control and regulate their 

dispositions.

"You will please have your report with regard 

to such lands available as early as possible in order 

that any necessary withdrawals may be made to protect such power sites pending the securing of such 

proposed legislation as may be recommended by 

the President.

"All withdrawals made for the'purpose herein 

mentioned will be of a temporary nature to allow the 

securing of such legislation as will permit of the disposition of the lands in question.

"The Reclamation Service will cooperate with 

you in order to secure the necessary data."

By July 1, 1910, nearly 1.5 million acres had been 

included in Temporary Power Site Withdrawals and 

on July 2, 1910, these withdrawals were confirmed 

and continued as Power Site Reserves by Executive 

Orders under an act of June 25, 1910. Actually there
are two acts of June 25, 1910, which are pertinent 

to power site segregations. One provides:

"That the President may at any time, in his discretion, temporarily withdraw from settlement, location, sale, or entry any of the public lands of the 

United States, including the District of Alaska, and 

reserve the same for waterpower sites, irrigation, 

classification of the lands or other purposes to be 

specified in the orders of withdrawals, and such withdrawals or reservations shall remain in force until 

revoked by him or by an act of Congress."

The other provides:

"Sec. 13. That the Secretary of the Interior be, 

and he is hereby, authorized in his discretion, to reserve from location, entry, sale, allotment, 01 other 

appropriation any lands within any Indian reservation, 

valuable for power or reservoir sites, or which may 

be necessary for use in connection with any irrigation 

project heretofore or hereafter to be authorized by 

Congress."

Section 2 of the first act provided that the withdrawn lands should "be open to exploration, discovery, 

occupation, and purchase under the mining laws of 

the United States so far as the same apply to minerals 

other than coal, oil, gas, and phosphates." This provision permitted inferior locations, such as building 

stone quarries of little value, on valuable power site 

lands. The act of August 24, 1912, changed this provision to permit exploration and purchase under the 

mining laws for metalliferous minerals only.

The act of June 20, 1910, which enabled the people 

of Arizona and New Mexico to prepare constitutions 

for admission to the Union,.provided that lands valuable for water power should be designated by the 

Secretary of the Interior within five years after approval of the act. The Secretary, acting on the advice 

of the Geological Survey, designated considerable 

areas along the streams of those states as being valuable for power sites. These withdrawals were termed 

"Water Power Designations."

The acts of June 9, 1916, February 26, 1919, and 

August 28, 1937, provided for the classification of the 

revested lands of the Oregon and California Railroad 

Company and the reconveyed lands of the Coos Bay 

Wagon Road grant in Oregon and the withdrawal of any 

of the lands valuable for waterpower purposes. These 

withdrawals were also known as Water Power Designations. Lands included in Water Power Designations 

are regarded as having the same status as lands in 

Power Site Reserves.

On April 24, 1942, the President, by Executive 

Order No. 9146 delegated to the Secretary of the Interior authority to make or revoke Power Site Reserves 

other than those on Indian lands. The Secretary already had this authority in regard to Indian lands/by 

virtue of an act of Congress of June 25,1910. Executive 

Order No. 9146 was superseded by Executive Order 

No. 9337 dated April 24, 1943, which authorized the 

Secretary of the Interior to withdraw or reserve lands 

of the public domain or other lands owned or controlled

by the United States to the same extent that such lands 

might be withdrawn or reserved by the President and 

also to modify or revoke withdrawals or reservations 

of such lands, provided that the Secretary should have 

prior approval of the Director of the Bureau of the 

Budget and the Attorney General and the head of any 

department or agency outside of the Department of the 

Interior having jurisdiction over the lands. Executive 

Order No. 9337, in turn, was superseded by Executive 

Order No. 10355 dated May 26, 1952. In this order 

the requirement that approval of the Director of the 

Bureau of the Budget and Attorney General be obtained 

before a withdrawal was made was omitted; however, 

it provided for the reference of disputes to the Director of the Bureau of the Budget and, if necessary, 

to the President.

The Federal Power Act was originally enacted as 

the Federal Water Power Act and approved June 10, 

1920. On March 3, 1921, it was amended to exclude 

any authority to license water power projects in national parks or national monuments. The Federal 

Power Commission, originally composed of the Secretaries of Interior, War (Army), and Agriculture, 

was reorganized as an independent Commission under 

the act approved June 23, 1930. The original Federal 

Water Power Act was made Part I of the Federal 

Power Act by Title II of the Public Utility Act of 

1935 approved August 26, 1935.

Section 24 of the Federal Power Act specifies the 

procedures for acquisition or use of lands classified 

as valuable for power sites before or after passage 

of the act. This gave the Federal Power Commission 

control of the disposition of all lands which might at 

any time be classified as Valuable for waterpower purposes. This authority made it possible for the Secretary of the Interior, through the Geological Survey, 

to effectively protect power site lands by merely classifying them as such under the authority provided by 

the act of March 3, 1879. Prior to passage of the 

Federal Power Act, lands could be classified as power 

sites by the Geological Survey, but this had no protective effect unless they were also withdrawn by 

the President or by the Secretary of the Interior 

under one of the special withdrawal acts such as that 

of October 2, 1888, or of June 25, 1910.

Power Site Classifications were first made by 

the Director of the Geological Survey and, when approved by the Secretary of the Interior, had full force 

and effect under the Federal Power Act. Departmental 

Order No. 2333 of June 10, 1947, authorized the Director of the Geological Survey "without prior secretarial approval, to classify public domain lands as 

power sites and to modify or revoke such classifications." A Secretarial order of December 22, 1958, 

revoked Departmental Order No. 2333 and Power 

Site Classifications are currently initiated by the 

Director, Geological Survey for approval by the Secretary of the Interior.

Section 24 of the Federal Power Act provides for 

another type of waterpower withdrawal. This provides 

that:
"Any lands of the United States included in any 

proposed project under the provisions of this Part 

(Part I) shall from the date of filing an application 

for permit or license therefor be reserved from entry, 

location, or other disposal under the laws of the 

United States until otherwise directed by the Commission or by Congress."

The lands withdrawn as a result of the filing of an 

application for permit or license remain withdrawn, 

even though the permit or license is revoked or allowed to lapse, until such time as the withdrawal is 

officially vacated by the Federal Power Commission.

Section 24 of the Federal Power Act made all 

Power Site Reserves, Water Power Designations, and 

subsequent Power Site Classifications secure against 

alienation under any law. The act of August 11, 1955 

modified the laws governing power site withdrawals 

to permit acquisition for mining purposes of lands in 

such withdrawals subject to the provision that:

"The United States, its Permittees and Licensees 

shall not be responsible or held liable or incur any 

liability for the damage, destruction, or loss of any 

mining claim, mill site, facility installed or erected, 

income, or other property or investments resulting 

from the actual use of such lands or portions thereof 

for power development at any time where such power 

development is made by or under the Authority of the 

United States, except where such damage, destruction, 

or loss results from the negligence of the United States, 

its Permittees or Licensees."

Lands within Indian Reservations classified as 

valuable for power by the Geological Survey, if approved by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, are 

reserved by the Secretary of the Interior under the 

pertinent act of June 25, 1910, described earlier. If 

Indian land and other public domain land lies in the 

same power site area two separate orders of withdrawal are required.

Prior to April 24, 1942, Power Site Reserves 

were revoked by Executive Order. On that date, the 

President delegated this authority to the Secretary 

of the Interior in Executive Order No. 9146. Subsequent revisions of this delegated authority have 

been made as described earlier, but the basic delegation of the President's authority to the Secretary 

is still in force. Water Power Designations and Power 

Site Reserves on Indian lands are revoked by Departmental Order. Revocations of Power Site Reserves 

or Water Power Designations usually result from recommendations by the Geological Survey with concurrence by the Federal Power Commission.

Land in a Power Site Classification which is 

found to have no power value is eliminated from a 

classification by a Power Site Cancellation signed 

by the Secretary of the Interior.

The order, signed by the Secretary, revoking a 

Power Site Reserve, a Water Power Designation, or 

a Power Site Classification, provides for the restoration of the lands to disposition under the public 

land laws. Such orders are published in the Federal 

Register.

Nearly 2.6 million acres of land had been segregated into Power Site Reserves by June 1920. Much 

of this land was valuable for other purposes, such as 

agriculture, but there was no legal way for the Government to dispose of the land and still retain the 

power rights. Power Site Reserves could be modified 

but such modification, while satisfactory for a rightof-way, did not answer the demand for use of all the 

land until such time as it would be required for power 

development. The Federal Water Power Act of June 10, 

1920, remedied this to a great extent through the provisions of Section 24. This section, as amended in 

1935, provides in part:

"Whenever the Commission shall determine that 

the value of any lands of the United States so applied 

for, or heretofore or hereafter reserved or classified 

as power sites, will not be injured or destroyed for 

the purposes of power development by location, entry, 

or selection under the public land laws, the Secretary 

of the Interior, upon notice of such determination, 

shall declare such lands open to location, entry, or 

selection, for such purpose or purposes and under such 

restrictions as the Commission may determine, subject to and with a reservation of the right of the United 

States or its permittees or licensees to enter upon, 

occupy, and use any part or all of said lands necessary, 

in the judgement of the Commission, for the purposes 

of this Part, which right shall be expressly reserved 

in every patent issued for such lands; and no claim or 

right to compensation shall accrue from the occupation or use of any of said lands for said purposes. 

The United States or any licensee for any such lands 

hereunder may enter thereupon for the purposes of this 

Part, upon payment of any damages to crops, buildings, 

or other improvements caused thereby to the owner 

thereof, or upon giving a good and sufficient bond to 

the United States for the use and benefit of the owner 

to secure the payment of such damages as may be 

determined and fixed in an action brought upon the bond 

in a court of competent jurisdiction, said bond to be in 

the form prescribed by the Commission."

Restorations under Section 24 of the Federal 

Power Act are made by the Secretary of the Interior 

by means of Public Land Orders prepared for him in 

the Bureau of Land Management. These Opening or 

Restoration Orders are prepared following no-injury 

determinations by the Federal Power Commission 

acting on the advice and recommendations of the Geological Survey and other interested agencies through 

the familiar "DA" (Application for Determination) 

orders of the Federal Power Commission.

The need for the Federal Power Commission to 

make determinations concerning applications for entry, location, and patent for mining purposes was 

eliminated by the passage of the act of August 11, 

1955. (The Mining Claims Restoration Act).

Sites which are primarily valuable as reservoir 

sites are withdrawn in Power Site Classifications if 

they have value for development of waterpower either 

at the sites or through regulation affecting downstream 

power sites, developed or undeveloped. However, if 

power development is not feasible, lands in reservoir 

sites can be withdrawn as Reservoir Site Reserves 

under the broad authority given the President by the
act of June 25, 1910. As with Power Site Reserves, 

the authority to make and revoke Reservoir Site Reserves was delegates to the Secretary of the Interior 

by Executive Order No. 9146 and subsequent delegation orders. Lands in Reservoir Site Reserves are 

subject to entry under the mining laws as they apply 

to metalliferous minerals but are not subject to disposal under Section 24 of the Federal Power Act.

The area withdrawn for waterpower purposes, as 

of June 30, 1960, totaled 9,600,000 acres Of which 

2,400,000 had been restored to entry. The following 

table gives the net withdrawn area, at 5-year intervals, 

since 1910:

Year ending 

June 30

Net area withdrawn 

for waterpower 

(thousands of acres)

1910 .................... 1,454

1915 .................... 2,228

1920 .................... 2,588

1925 .................... 5,247

1930 .................... 6,588

1935 .................... 6,465

1940 .................... 6,685

1945

1950

1955

1960

6,774

6,848

7,104

7,206

The pronounced increase in the withdrawn area 

between 1920 and 1925 was due to the withdrawals 

made as a result of filing of applications with the Federal Power Commission for permits or licenses for 

power projects, in addition to the withdrawals initiated 

by the Geological Survey.

ANNOTATED CHRONOLOGICAL LIST 

OF WATERPOWER AND RESERVOIR CLASSIFICATION LAWS AND EXECUTIVE ORDERS, 

AND DEPARTMENTAL ORDERS

Act of March 3, 1879 (20 Stat. 394; 43 USC 31)

Act creating the Geological Survey and the one 

under which Power Site Classifications are made.

Act of October 2, 1888 (25 Stat. 527)

Provided for the withdrawal of irrigable lands and 

the sites for reservoirs and other hydraulic works 

necessary for the storage and utilization of water for 

irrigation and the prevention of floods and overflows.

Act of August 30, 1890 (26 Stat. 391)

Repealed the act of October 2, 1888, except as it 

applied to actual sites.

Act of March 3, 1891 (26 Stat. 1101; 43 USC 663)

Excluded from reserve all lands except those 

actually necessary for construction and maintenance 

of reservoirs.

Act of June 20, 1910

(36 Stat. 557, 564) (for New Mexico) 

(36 Stat. 557, 575) (for Arizona)

This is the New Mexico and Arizona Enabling Act 

under which Waterpower Designations were made withdrawing all public land having power value in New 

Mexico and Arizona.

Act of June 25, 1910 (36 Stat. 847, Chap. 421; 43 U.S.C. 

141-143)

Amended by the Act of August 24, 1912, (37 Stat. 

497) and by the Act of June 10, 1920, as amended 

(41 Stat. 1075; 40 Stat. 846; 16 USC 818)

Provides for temporary withdrawals of waterpower sites and other public purposes. Power Site 

Reserves and Reservoir Site Reserves can be made 

under this act.

Act of June 25, 1910 (36Stat. 855, 858, 859; Chap. 431; 

25 USC 331-336)

Power Site Reserves on Indian lands are made 

under Sections 13 and 14 of this act.

Act of August 24, 1912 (37 Stat. 497; 43 USC 142)

Amends act of June 25, 1910 to permit exploration, discovery, occupation and purchase under mining 

laws. Oil and gas rights and homestead entries in 

force at time of withdrawal remain in effect.

Act of June 9, 1916 (39 Stat. 218)

Provides for the classification and withdrawal of 

revested Oregon and California Railroad Company 

lands in Oregon valuable for waterpower purposes.

Act of February 26, 1919 (40 Stat. 1179)

Provides for the classification and withdrawal of 

reconveyed Coos Bay Wagon Road grant lands in Oregon valuable for waterpower purposes in the manner 

provided by the act of June 9, 1916.

Act of June 10, 1920 (41 Stat. 1063, 16 USC 791-823; 

March 3, 1921, 41 Stat. 1353; June 23, 1930, 46 Stat. 

797; August 26, 1935, 49 Stat. 838, 16 USC 791a82 5r as amended)

The Federal Waterpower Act changed to the Federal Power Act by amendment of August 26, 1935.

Under this act lands included in proposed projects are withdrawn from all forms of entry effective 

as of the date of the filing of the application for the 

project and lands reserved or classified as valuable 

for waterpower purposes are also withdrawn from 

all forms of entry. Cancellations or revocations of 

Federal Power Commission permits or licenses do 

not cancel the withdrawal. If the Federal Power Commission finds that land withdrawn by a filing for a 

Federal Power Project does not have power value, it 

will issue an order vacating the withdrawal. This 

vacating order does not affect Reserves or Classifi-
cations made by the Geological Survey, Separate action, restoration or cancellation, depending on the type 

of withdrawal, is required.

Section 24 of this act provides for the disposal of 

land withdrawn for power purposes under this or other 

acts with the Government retaining the power rights.

Act of August 28, 1937 (50 Stat. 874)

Provides for the disposition of revested Oregon 

and California Railroad and reconveyed Coos Bay 

Wagon Road grant lands in Oregon under the acts 

of June 9, 1916 (39 Stat. 218) and February 26, 1919 

(40 Stat. 1179), respectively. About 60,000 acres of 

land in Oregon were classified as valuable for waterpower and withdrawn in Waterpower Designations.

Executive 

3067)

Order No. 9146, April 24, 1942 (7 F.R.

Delegated authority to withdraw land to the Secretary of the Interior. Superseded by Executive Order

No. 9337.

Departmental Order No. 1694, May 15, 1942 

Revoked by Departmental Order No. 2511.

Executive 

5516)

Order No. 9337, April 24, 1943 (8 F.R.

Delegated authority to withdraw or reserve lands 

and to modify or revoke withdrawals to the Secretary 

of the Interior with the approval of the Director of the 

Bureau of the Budget and the Attorney General and the 

head of any department or agency under whose jurisdiction the land was held. Superseded by Executive 

Order No. 10355 (17 F.R.4831;43U.S.C.A.Supp. 141).

Departmental Order 2331, June 5, 1947

Required that Land Orders signed by the Secretary 

must be cleared by all interested Bureaus by letter 

to the Secretary, through the Director, Bureau of 

Land Management.

Departmental Order No. 2333, June 10, 1947 (12 F.R. 

4025)

Authorized the Director of the Geological Survey 

to classify public domain lands as power sites and to 

modify or revoke such classifications.

Executive Order No. 10355, May 26, 1952 (17 F.R. 

4831; 43 U.S.C.A. Supp. 141)

Delegated authority to withdraw or restore lands 

of the public domain to the Secretary of the Interior. 

Does not require approval of the Director of the Bureau of the Budget or the Attorney General, but does 

require approval of the head of any department or 

agency under whose administrative jurisdiction the 

affected lands might lie. Provides for referring disputes to the Director of the Bureau of the Budget.

Departmental Order No. 2511, March 3, 1949

Departmental Order No. 2583, August 16,1950 (15 F.R. 

5643

Departmental Order No. 2708, November 7, 1952

These three Departmental Orders prescribe the 

mechanics of preparing Public Land Orders in the 

Bureau of Land Management.

Act of August 11, 1955 (69 Stat. 681)

Mining Claims Rights Restoration Act of 1955. 

Eliminates need for Federal Power Commission to 

make a determination concerning applications for 

entry, location, and patent for mining purposes.

Departmental Order of December 22, 1958

Revoked Departmental Order No. 2333 which delegated to the Director, Geological Survey the authority 

to classify public domain lands as power sites and to 

modify or revoke such classifications. This authority 

reverted to the Secretary of the Interior.