16 U.S.C. § 460lll: Establishment

On the transfer of administrative jurisdiction under section 460 lll –41 of this title, the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in the States of Kentucky and Tennessee is established as a unit of the National Forest System. The Secretary shall manage the Recreation Area for multiple use as a unit of the National Forest System. to provide public recreational opportunities; to conserve fish and wildlife and their habitat; and to provide for diversity of native and desirable non-native plants, animals, opportunities for hunting and fishing, and environmental education. The Secretary shall administer the Recreation Area as a separate unit of the National Forest System. The Recreation Area shall comprise the federally owned land, water, and interests in the land and water lying between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley in the States of Kentucky and Tennessee, as generally depicted on the map entitled “Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area—January, 1998”. The map described in paragraph (1) shall be available for public inspection in the Office of the Chief of the Forest Service, Washington, D.C. Nothing in this subchapter affects the jurisdiction of the Tennessee Valley Authority or the Army Corps of Engineers to manage and regulate water levels and navigation of Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley and areas subject to flood easements. Subject to the jurisdiction of the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Army Corps of Engineers, the Secretary shall have jurisdiction to regulate the occupancy and use of the surface waters of the lakes for recreational purposes.