Digest of Federal Resource Laws of Interest to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Interstate Compacts
Interstate Water Apportionment
Water Pollution Control
Water Resources and Flood Control
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Atlantic Salmon Compact -- Public Law 98-138,
enacted October 28, 1983 (97 Stat. 866) provides congressional consent for the States of
Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont to enter into a compact for
restoration of the Atlantic Salmon in the Connecticut River Basin. It establishes a Commission
composed of 2 representatives from each State and the Northeast Regional Directors for the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, and enumerates the duties
and authorities of the Commission.
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Interstate Water Apportionment
Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) River Basin
Compact -- Apportions the waters of the ACT drainage basin in the states of
Georgia and Alabama. Creates a commission to promote interstate comity, remove causes of
present and future controversies, equitably apportion the surface waters of the ACT, engage in
water planning, and develop and share common data bases while protecting the water quality,
ecology, and biodiversity of the basin. The ACT Basin Commission includes Alabama, Georgia,
and the United States. (P.L. 105-105)
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Animas-La Plata Project Compact -- Provides for
storage and diversion of water from the Animas and La Plata River systems in Colorado and
New Mexico, for utilization in the Animas-La Plata Project. (P.L. 90-537)
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Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basin
Compact -- Apportions the waters arising within the drainage basin of the ACF in
the states of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. Creates a commission to promote interstate comity,
remove causes of present and future controversies, equitably apportion the surface waters of the
ACF, engage in water planning, and develop and share common data bases while protecting the
water quality, ecology, and biodiversity of the basin. The ACF Basin Commission includes
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and the United States. (P.L. 105-104)
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Arkansas River Basin Compact of 1970
(Arkansas-Oklahoma) -- Apportions the waters of the Arkansas River basin, creates the
Arkansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Compact Commission to administer the apportionment
agreement, encourages pollution abatement programs, and facilitates cooperation for total
development and management of water resources in the river basin. (87 Stat. 569)
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Arkansas River Compact of 1949
(Colorado-Kansas) -- Apportions the waters of the Arkansas River and creates the
Arkansas River Compact Administration as the supervising agency. (63 Stat. 145-152)
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Arkansas River Compact of 1965
(Kansas-Oklahoma) -- Apportions the waters of the Arkansas River basin, creates the
Kansas-Oklahoma River Commission to administer the agreement, and encourages further
pollution abatement programs in this river basin. (P.L. 89-789, 80 Stat. 1409)
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Bear River Compact -- Apportions the waters of
the Bear River and creates a commission to administer the compact among Idaho, Utah, and
Wyoming. (72 Stat. 38)
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Belle Fourche River Compact --
Apportions the waters of the Belle Fourche River, with particular emphasis on administering
public water supplies in South Dakota and Wyoming. (58 Stat. 94)
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Big Blue River Compact -- Creates the
Kansas-Nebraska Big Blue River Commission for administration of the compact. Purposes are
to promote interstate comity and equitable apportionment of waters in the river basin, to promote
orderly development of water resources, and to continue active water pollution abatement
programs in the party States. (92nd Congress, 86 Stat. 193)
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California-Nevada Interstate Compact -- Would
establish a commission to administer water rights involving Lake Tahoe and the Carson,
Truckee, and Walker Rivers. Both States have ratified the compact and are abiding by it even
though Congress has not ratified it. Some of the issues involved were addressed in P.L. 101-618,
the Fallon Paiute Shoshone Indian Tribes Water Rights Settlement Act of 1990. (P.L. 101-618,
November 16, 1990; 104 Stat. 3289 - 3324)
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Canadian River Compact -- Establishes the
Canadian River Commission to allocate and apportion waters of the Canadian River in New
Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. (64 Stat. 93; 66 Stat. 74)
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Colorado River Compact -- Apportions the
waters of the Colorado River basin. Congress in 1921 authorized seven States to negotiate the
compact (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming): six of
them ratified the compact promptly but Arizona did not join until 1944. An amendment was
adopted in 1925 to waive the requirement that all seven States approve. Congress accepted the
revision in the 1928 Boulder Canyon Project Act which, however, required California's approval.
California approved the amended compact in 1929. (45 Stat. 1057-64)
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Connecticut River Compact -- Public Law 98-138, as amended, October 28,
1983 (97 Stat. 866) provided Congressional consent for the States of Connecticut, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, and Vermont to enter into a compact for restoration of the Atlantic Salmon in
the Connecticut River Basin. It also established a Commission composed of two representatives
from each State and the Northeast Regional Directors for the Fish and Wildlife Service and the
National Marine Fisheries Service, and enumerated the duties and authorities of the Commission.
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Costilla Creek Compact -- Apportions the
waters of Costilla Creek in Colorado and New Mexico and creates necessary administrative
structure. In 1963 both States and Congress approved an amendment perfecting further
utilization of the interstate waters. (60 Stat. 246; 77 Stat. 350)
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Klamath River Compact -- Establishes the
Klamath River Compact Commission to promote comprehensive development, conservation, and
control of the resources of the Klamath River and to foster interstate comity between California
and Oregon. (69 Stat. 613; 71 Stat. 497)
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La Plata River Compact -- Apportions the waters
of the La Plata River between Colorado and New Mexico, and creates a joint commission to
administer the compact. (43 Stat. 796)
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Pecos River Compact -- Creates the Pecos River
Commission to administer provisions for storage, division, and use of the waters of the river in
New Mexico and Texas. (63 Stat. 159)
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Red River Compact -- Provides for the equitable
apportionment of the waters of the Red River and its tributaries among the States of Arkansas,
Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. (P.L. 96-564, December 22, 1980; 94 Stat. 3305)
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Republican River Compact -- Creates the
Republican River Compact Administration for the purpose of apportioning waters of the
Republican River and its tributaries between Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska. (P.L. 78-60)
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Rio Grande Interstate Compact -- Creates the
Rio Grande Interstate Compact Commission to administer the compact and to apportion the
waters of the Rio Grande River between Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. (53 Stat. 785)
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Sabine River Compact -- Establishes the Sabine
River Compact Commission to apportion the waters of the Sabine River and to plan, develop,
and conserve the water resources of the river basin in Louisiana and Texas. (65 Stat. 736; 68
Stat. 690)
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Snake River Compact -- Apportions the waters
of the Snake River, and directs that the compact be administered through the official in each
State (Idaho and Wyoming) who is responsible for public water supplies and the collection of
necessary data. (62 Stat. 294; 64 Stat. 29)
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South Platte River Compact -- Apportions the
waters of the South Platte River between Colorado and Nebraska. (44 Stat. 195)
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Upper Colorado River Basin Compact --
Creates the Upper Colorado River Commission to administer apportionment of the waters of the
upper Colorado River basin system and to promote agricultural and industrial development. (63
Stat. 31)
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Upper Niobrara River Compact --
Apportions the waters of the Upper Niobrara River basin and the ground waters common to
Nebraska and Wyoming. (83 Stat. 86)
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Yellowstone River Compact --
Establishes the Yellowstone River Compact Commission to apportion the waters of the
Yellowstone River among Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming.
(63 Stat. 152; 65 Stat. 663)
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Water Pollution Control
Bi-State Metropolitan Development District
Compact -- Missouri and Illinois (64 Stat. 568; 73 Stat. 582)
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New England Interstate Water Pollution Control
Compact -- Creates the New England Interstate Water Pollution Control
Commission to abate pollution on interstate waters in the New England States and New York.
Several member States subsequently adopted amendments to provide the commission with
enhanced authority. (P.L. 80-292; 61 Stat. 682)
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New Hampshire-Vermont Interstate Sewage and Waste
Disposal Facilities Compact -- Authorizes local governments and sewage districts
in New Hampshire and Vermont to engage in programs for abatement of pollution through joint
facilities for the disposal of sewage and other waste products. (90 Stat. 1221)
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Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Compact --
Creates the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission for the purpose of maintaining
waters in the river basin in a satisfactory sanitary condition available for safe use by public and
private agencies and to maintain fish and aquatic life for recreational usage. (P.L 76-739; 54 Stat.
752)
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Red River of the North -- Minnesota,
South Dakota, and North Dakota. (52 Stat. 150; April 2, 1938)
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Tennessee River Basin Water Pollution Control
Compact -- Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi. (72 Stat. 823; August 23,
1958) Return to List of Interstate
Compacts
Tri-State Sanitation Compact -- Creates the
Interstate Sanitation Commission in the joint boundary area of Connecticut, New Jersey, and
New York to promote and enhance water quality standards. More recently, the Commission has
served as the coordinating and planning agency for air quality control within the Tri-State
boundary area. (Public Res. 62, 74th Congress, 49 Stat. 932)
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Water Resources and Flood Control
Connecticut River Valley Flood Control
Compact -- Creates the Connecticut River Valley Flood Control Commission and
provides for financial reimbursement by downstream States for economic losses to political
subdivisions in which flood control reservoirs are located. (67 Stat. 45)
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Delaware River Basin Compact -- Establishes the
Delaware River Basin Commission as a regional multipurpose water resources agency involving
the States of Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. The United States is a party
to the compact, as well as having granted Congressional consent to the agreement among States.
(75 Stat. 688)
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Great Lakes Basin Compact -- Creates the Great
Lakes Basin Commission, an advisory body to the States on regional water resources matters,
including comprehensive water use, economic development, and maintenance of high-quality
environment. The involved States include: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York,
Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The compact originally contemplated participation by
Canadian provinces, but Congress denied consent for that purpose. (82 Stat. 414)
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Potomac Valley Compact -- Creates the
Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin to preserve water quality and to conserve
water and related land resources of the Potomac River basin. Involved States include:
Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia. It
should not be confused with the Potomac River Basin Compact, which failed to become
operational after 10 years of vigorous promotion. In 1970, Congress approved amendments to the
original compact that expanded the authority of the Commission. (54 Stat. 748; 84 Stat. 856)
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Susquehanna River Basin Compact -- Creates a
Federal-interstate administrative agency to engage in comprehensive planning, development, and
management of water and related resources of the Susquehana River basin. States involved in
the compact are: Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania. The U.S. Government is a full
member of the compact. (P.L. 91-575, 84th Congress)
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Thames River Flood Control Compact --
Establishes the Thames River Valley Flood Control Commission to administer the compact and
promotes cooperation in flood control and in the use of water resources of the Thames River
basin. Connecticut and Massachusetts are party to the compact. (72 Stat. 364)
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Wheeling Creek Watershed Protection & Flood
Prevention Compact -- Establishes a Commission for the purpose of administering
programs of flood control and preservation of natural resources and recreational facilities in the
Wheeling Creek watershed. Pennsylvania and West Virginia are party to the compact. (81 Stat.
553)
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