An Act to authorize the construction of naval vessels, and for other purposes
PL 83-548 (H.R.8571), enacted 07/29/1954

678 
PUBLIC LAW 548-JULY 29, 1954 
[68 S T A T . 
either as a result of its acquisition of the lands comprising Camp 
Joseph H. Pendleton and adjoining naval installations, and the rights 
to the use of water as a part of said acquisition, or through actual 
use or prescription or both since the date of that acquisition, if any, 
or to create any legal obligation to store any water in De Luz Reservoir, 
to the use of which it has such rights, or to require the division under 
this Act of water to which it has such rights. 
(d) Unless otherwise agreed by the Secretary of the Navy, De 
Luz Dam as herein provided shall at all times be operated in a manner 
which will permit the free passage of all of the water to the use of 
which the United States of America is entitled according to the laws 
of the State of California either as a result of its acquisition of the 
lands comprising Camp Joseph H. Pendleton and adjoining naval 
installations, and the rights to the use of water as a part of said acqui-
sitions, or through actual use or prescription or both since the date 
• 
of that acquisition, if any, and will not be administered or operated 
in any way which will impair or deplete the quantities of water to the 
use of which the United States of America would be entitled under 
the laws of the State of California had that structure not been built. 
re^ulaUon^*'^'^^'^ 
^^^' ^' ^^^^^ ^^^ coustruction of the De Luz Dam, the official oper-
ating the reservoir shall deliver water to the Fallbrook Public Utility 
District, pursuant to regulations issued by the Secretary of the 
Interior, as follows: 
(1) One thousand eight hundred acre-feet in any year until the 
reservoir attains an active content of sixty-three thousand acre-feet; 
(2) Not in excess of four thousand eight hundred acre-feet in any 
year after the reservoir attains an active content of sixty-three thou-
sand acre-feet and until said reservoir attains an active content of 
ninety-eight thousand acre-feet; and 
(3) Not in excess of eight thousand acre-feet in any year after 
the reservoir attains an active content of ninety-eight thousand acre-
feet and until the conservation storage space of the reservoir has been 
filled. 
Flood control. 
QE^ 5 xhe Secretary of the Army through the Chief of Engineers, 
acting in accordance with section 7 of the Flood Control Act of 1944 
33 use 709. 
(5g Stat. 887) is authorized to utilize for purposes of flood control such 
portion of the capacity of De Luz Reservoir as may be available 
therefor. 
Rufer'^o^c?'""^ 
^^^' ^' There are hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any 
Appropriation, 
moucy iu tile Trcasury of the United States not otherwise appro-
priated, $22,636,000, the current estimated construction cost of the 
Santa Margarita River project, plus or minus such amounts as may 
be indicated by the engineering cost indices for this type of con-
struction, and, in addition thereto, such sums as may be required to 
operate and maintain the said project. 
gr^ss."*^'^ *° ^°"' 
^^^- '^' From time to time the Attorney General, the Secretary of 
the Interior, and the Secretary of the Navy shall report to the Congress 
concerning the conditions specified in section 1 of this Act, and the 
first report thereon shall be submitted to the Congress no later than 
one year from the date of enactment of this Act. 
Approved July 28, 1954. 
Public Law 548 
CHAPTER 613 
T , o« ,00. 
AN A C T 
July 29, 1954 
[H. R. 8571] 
To authorize the construction of naval vessels, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
\ / 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 550-JULY 29, 1954 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President 
is authorized to undertake the construction of, or to acquire and con-
vert, not to exceed sixteen thousand tons of modern naval vessels in 
the combatant category, divided into the following subcategories: 
(a) Mine warfare vessels, four thousand tons; and 
(b) Patrol vessels, twelve thousand tons. 
To the extent that any ships authorized under this Act are constructed 
in private shipyards, such contract shall be awarded to the lowest 
responsible bidder insofar as national security requirements will per-
mit and such award is practical, and is not inconsistent with the pro-
visions of the Armed Services Procurement Act of 1947 or the Act of 
March 27,1934 (ch. 95,48 Stat. 503), as amended. 
SEC. 2. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated such sums 
as may be necessary for the construction, or for the acquisition and con-
version, of the foregoing vessels. 
SEC. 3. The Act of August 8,1950 (64 Stat. 420), is hereby amended 
by deleting "$350,000,000" and inserting in lieu thereof "$450,000,000". 
Approved July 29, 1954. 
- ^ 
579 
Naval vessels. 
C o n s t r u e tion, 
etc. 
34 u s e 494-497. 
Appropriation. 
34 u s e 498m. 
Public Law 549 
CHAPTER 614 
AN ACT 
To reenaet the authority for the appointment of certain officers of the Regular 
Navy and Marine Corps. 
July 29,1954 
TH. R. 67r '" 
6725] 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That sections 5 ( a ) 
and 5 (c) of the Act of April 18, 1946 (60 Stat. 92), as amended (34 
U. S. C. 15), are hereby reenacted and amended so as to extend the 
authority granted therein to July 1, 1955, and by deleting in the first 
sentence of section 5 ( a ) the words "in the Regular Navy and Marine 
Corps, respectively." and inserting in lieu thereof the words "not 
above lieutenant in the Regular Navy and captain in the Regular 
Marine Corps,". 
SEC. 2. A person permanently appointed in the Regular Navy or 
Regular Marine Corps, under the authority of this Act, may also be 
temporarily appointed to a higher grade appropriate to the lineal 
position assigned, and such temporary appointment shall be regarded 
as having been effected pursuant to the law under which officers of the 
Regular Navy and Regular Marine Corps having comparable lineal 
position were temporarily appointed to such higher grade. 
Approved July 29, 1954. 
Navy and Marine 
eorps. 
Appointment o f 
o f f i c e r s . 
Time extension. 
T e 
m p o r a r y 
g r a d e . 
Public Law 550 
..Mm 
CHAPTER 615 
AN ACT 
Authorizins. the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs to convey certain property 
to the Armory Board, State of Utah. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Admin-
istrator of Veterans' Affairs is authorized and directed to convey, 
without monetary consideration and subject to the conditions in sec-
tion 2 of this Act, to the Armory Board, State of Utah, all right, title, 
and interest of the United States in and to a tract of thirty-five acres 
of land, more or less, situated in the western end of the Veterans' 
July 29, 1954 
[S. 3 561] 
yJul. 
A r m o r y Board, 
Utah. 
Conveyance.