16 U.S.C. § 804
Section 804 · Project works affecting navigable waters; requirements insertable in license
This is § 11 of the Federal Power Act of 1920
Amended 3 times on record
Applied in 5 court decisions — leading case Alabama Power Co. v. Federal Power Commission (1942)
Most recently applied in State Water Control Board v. Hoffman (January 1977)
How often courts cite this section
Court decisions citing this, by year.Markers show enactment, consequential amendments, and circuit splits over this section — watch for a citation surge after a change or a disagreement. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.
If the dam or other project works are to be constructed across, along, or in any of the navigable waters of the United States, the commission may, insofar as it deems the same reasonably necessary to promote the present and future needs of navigation and consistent with a reasonable investment cost to the licensee, include in the license any one or more of the following provisions or requirements:
(a) That such licensee shall, to the extent necessary to preserve and improve navigation facilities, construct, in whole or in part, without expense to the United States, in connection with such dam, a lock or locks, booms, sluices, or other structures for navigation purposes, in accordance with plans and specifications approved by the Chief of Engineers and the Secretary of the Army and made part of such license.
(b) That in case such structures for navigation purposes are not made a part of the original construction at the expense of the licensee, then whenever the United States shall desire to complete such navigation facilities the licensee shall convey to the United States, free of cost, such of its land and its rights-of-way and such right of passage through its dams or other structures, and permit such control of pools as may be required to complete such navigation facilities.
(c) That such licensee shall furnish free of cost to the United States power for the operation of such navigation facilities, whether constructed by the licensee or by the United States.
Editorial notes U.S. Code · Office of the Law Revision Counsel
Change of Name
Department of War designated Department of the Army and title of Secretary of War changed to Secretary of the Army by section 205(a) of act July 26, 1947, ch. 343, title II, 61 Stat. 501. Section 205(a) of act July 26, 1947, was repealed by section 53 of act Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 641. Section 1 of act Aug. 10, 1956, enacted “Title 10, Armed Forces” which in sections 3010 to 3013 continued military Department of the Army under administrative supervision of Secretary of the Army.
Transfer of Functions
Federal Power Commission terminated and its functions with regard to licenses and permits for dams, reservoirs, or other works for development and improvement of navigation and for development and utilization of power across, along, from, or in navigable waters under this subchapter transferred to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission by sections 7172(a)(1)(A) and 7293 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.