Decree-Law No. 269/82 defining and classifying agricultural waterworks.

This Decree-Law, consisting of 93 articles divided into eight Chapters, defines and classifies agricultural waterworks. The growing importance of hydro-agricultural development works in the country's economic and social development has motivated the agricultural sector to progressively renew the fundamental bases of those waterworks and their structures. Water agricultural development works are considered to be the use of public domain waters for irrigation, swarming or clogging, drainage, drying and defense of land for agricultural purposes, adaptation to the irrigation of the benefited lands, improvement of existing irrigation and the appropriate agrarian structure. Land leveling works, the construction of tertiary irrigation or gutter networks and any other complementary works, namely road and energy distribution infrastructures, that are necessary for the exploration and valorization of the benefited lands. Private waters or by any title subject to their regime may also, upon prior indemnification, be used for hydro-agricultural development works or, when allocated to existing irrigations, be redistributed without prejudice to existing rights, which will be safeguarded under the terms of articles 40 ., 41 and 42 In multi-purpose projects, the present regime will only apply to hydro-agricultural development works integrated in them. The hydroelectric developments resulting from hydro-agricultural development works will be integrated into the national electricity production network. The exploitation of the projects referred to in the previous number will, however, be subject to hydro-agricultural needs.