43 U.S.C. § 462

The irrigable lands of each new project and new division of a project approved, after December 5, 1924, shall be classified by the Secretary with respect to their power, under a proper agricultural program, to support a family and pay water charges, and the Secretary is authorized to fix different construction charges against different classes of land under the same project for the purpose of equitably apportioning the total construction cost so that all lands may as far as practicable bear the burden of such cost according to their productive value.