---
type: "LegalText"
title: "33 U.S.C. § 10"
description: "Waters in Louisiana Purchase as public highways"
jurisdiction: "us"
corpus: "united_states_code"
kind: "code_section"
title_number: 33
title_name: "NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS"
chapter_number: "1"
chapter_name: "NAVIGABLE WATERS GENERALLY"
section: "10"
citation: "33 U.S.C. § 10"
status: "current"
release_point: "119-100"
release_date: "2026-06-26"
source: "official"
source_url: "https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc33@119-100.zip"
source_identifier: "/us/usc/t33/s10"
source_file: "data/legal/raw/us/code/title-33/usc33.xml"
source_hash: "603e7cc7224b38a019cc5a8b92a1597d13f0063703af10c79256a07d8dff7d87"
raw_snapshot_hash: "de3d130b31eae77f8c0fc593f61b7287899297718d678d500eea123559828523"
text_hash: "c3d77b47d3cddaf403f5554bafad89e9edde59835a2de33b206b10c628d31197"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-04"
confidence: "official"
tags: ["legal", "us-code"]
---

# 33 U.S.C. § 10 - Waters in Louisiana Purchase as public highways

## Text

All the navigable rivers and waters in the former Territories of Orleans and Louisiana shall be and forever remain public highways.

(R.S. § 5251.)

## Notes

Editorial Notes

Codification R.S. § 5251 derived from act Mar. 3, 1811, ch. 46, § 12, 2 Stat. 606.