An Act to authorize payment for losses sustained by owners of wells in the vicinity of Cold Brook Dam by reason of the lowering of the level of water in such wells as a result of the construction of Cold Brook Darn
PL 83-625 (S.546), enacted 08/23/1954

68 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 626-AUG. 23, 1954 
767 
Public Law 625 
CHAPTER 829 
AN ACT 
To authorize payment for losses sustained by owners of wells in the vicinity 
of Cold Brook Dam by reason of the lowering of the level of water in such 
wells as a result of the construction of Cold Brook Dam. 
August 23, 1954 
[S. 546] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate arid House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of 
tlie Army, through the Chief of Engineers, is authorized and directed 
to compensate the owners of water wells in the vicinity of Cold Brook 
Dam ill South Dakota for losses determined by him to have been sus-
tained by reason of the lowering of the level of water in such wells 
as a result, w'holly or partially, of the construction and operation of 
Cold Brook Dam. Losses compensable under this Act shall include, 
but not be limited to, (1) the expense of improving or replacing the 
affected wells so that an amount of water equal to the amount previ-
ously obtainable from the affected wells will be available to the own-
ers ; (2) the expense of maintaining an adequate sujDply of water pend-
ing the completion of the improvement or replacement of the aflfected 
wells; and (3) injuries to property resulting from the lack of an ade-
quate supply of water pending the completion of the improvement 
or replacement of the affected wells. 
SEC. 2. Claims for losses compensable under this Act shall be sub-
mitted to the Secretary of the Army, through the Chief of Engineers, 
in such form and in such manner as the Secretary may prescribe. Any 
such claim shall be submitted not later than two years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, or not later than two years after the lowering 
of the level of water which is the basis for the claim, whichever is the 
later. 
SEC. 3. Payment of claims for losses compensable under this Act 
shall be made by the Secretary of the Army out of any funds available 
for flood control. 
Approved August 23, 1954. 
Cold Brook Dam, 
S. Dak. 
Water level dam-
ages. 
Claims. 
Payment. 
Public Law 626 
C H A P T E R 830 
AN ACT 
To amend section 32 of the Trading With the Enemy Act, as amended. 
August 23, 1954 
[S. 2420] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That section 32 of 
the Trading With the Enemy Act of October 6, 1917 (40 Stat. 411), 
as amended, is hereby further amended by adding at the end thereof 
the following subsection: 
"(h) The President may designate one or more organizations as 
successors in interest to deceased persons who, if alive, w^ould be 
eligible to receive returns under the provisos of subdivision (C) or 
(D) of subsection (a) (2) thereof. An organization so designated 
shall be deemed a successor in interest by operation of law for the 
purpose of subsection (a) (1) hereof. Return may be made, to an 
organization so designated, (a) before the expiration of two years 
from the vesting of the property or interest in question, if the Presi-
dent or such officer or agency as he may designate determines from 
all relevant facts of which he is then advised that there is no basis 
for reasonable doubt that the former owner is dead and is survived 
by no person eligible under section 32 to claim as successor in interest 
by inheritance, devise, or bequest; and (b) after the expiration of 
T r a d i n g With 
Enemy Act, amend-
ment. 
60 Stat. 50. 
50 u s e app. 32. 
Heirless p e r s e -
cutee assets.