The Secretary of the Interior, in his judgment and discretion, is hereby authorized to sell, in the manner hereinafter provided, in this section, any of those lands situated in the State of Louisiana which were originally erroneously meandered and shown upon the official plats as water-covered areas, and which are not lawfully appropriated by a qualified settler or entryman claiming under the public land laws.

Any citizen of the United States who, or whose ancestors in title in good faith under color of title or claiming as a riparian owner, prior to February 19, 1925, placed valuable improvements upon or reduced to cultivation any of the lands subject to the operation of this section, shall have a preferred right to file in the office of the officer, as the Secretary of the Interior may designate, of the United States land office of the district in which the lands are situated, an application to purchase the lands thus improved by them at any time within ninety days from February 19, 1925