§ 1421. Approval of Compact--Text
Oklahoma Statutes AnnotatedTitle 82. Waters and Water Rights
82 Okl.St.Ann. § 1421
§ 1421. Approval of Compact--Text
The following interstate Compact is hereby approved and ratified subject to the conditions stated in Section 2 of this act.1
ARKANSAS RIVER BASIN COMPACT
ARKANSAS-OKLAHOMA, 1970
The State of Arkansas and the State of Oklahoma, acting through their duly-authorized Compact representatives, S. Keith Jackson of Arkansas, and Glade R. Kirkpatrick of Oklahoma, after negotiations participated in by Trigg Twichell, appointed by the President as the representative of the United States of America, pursuant to and in accordance with the consent to such negotiations granted by an Act of Congress of the United States of America (Public Law 97, 84th Congress, 1st session), approved June 28, 1955, have agreed as follows respecting the waters of the Arkansas River and its tributaries:
ARTICLE I
The major purposes of this Compact are:
ARTICLE II
As used in the Compact:
C. The term “Arkansas River Basin” means all of the drainage basin of the Arkansas River and its tributaries from a point immediately below the confluence of the Grand-Neosho River with the Arkansas River near Muskogee, Oklahoma, to a point immediately below the confluence of Lee Creek with the Arkansas River near Van Buren, Arkansas, together with the drainage basin of Spavinaw Creek in Arkansas, but excluding that portion of the drainage basin of the Canadian River below Eufaula Dam.
K. The term “pollution” means contamination or other alterations of the physical, chemical, biological or radiological properties of water or the discharge of any liquid, gaseous, or solid substances into any waters which creates, or is likely to result in a nuisance, or which renders or is likely to render the waters into which it is discharged harmful, detrimental or injurious to public health, safety, or welfare, or which is harmful, detrimental or injurious to beneficial uses of the water.
A. The physical and other conditions peculiar to the Arkansas River Basin constitute the basis of this Compact, and neither of the states hereby, nor the Congress of the United States by its consent hereto, concedes that this Compact established any general principle with respect to any other interstate stream.
ARTICLE IV
The States of Arkansas and Oklahoma hereby agree upon the following apportionment of the waters of the Arkansas River Basin:
C. The State of Arkansas shall have the right to develop and use all waters originating within the Lee Creek Subbasin in the state or2 Arkansas, or the equivalent thereof.
A. On or before December 31 of each year, following the effective date of this Compact, the Commission shall determine the stateline yields of the Arkansas River Basin for the previous water year.
A. Each state may construct, own and operate for its needs water storage reservoirs in the other state.
B. Depletion in annual yield of any subbasin of the Arkansas River Basin caused by the operation of any water storage reservoir either heretofore or hereafter constructed by the United States or any of its agencies, instrumentalities or wards, or by a state, political subdivision thereof, or any person or persons shall be charged against the state in which the yield therefrom is utilized.
C. Each state shall have the free and unrestricted right to utilize the natural channel of any stream within the Arkansas River Basin for conveyance through the other state of waters released from any water storage reservoir for an intended downstream point of diversion or use without loss of ownership of such waters; provided, however, that a reduction shall be made in the amount of water which can be withdrawn at point of removal, equal to the transmission losses.
ARTICLE VII
The States of Arkansas and Oklahoma mutually agree to:
A. There is hereby created an interstate administrative agency to be known as the “Arkansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Compact Commission.” The Commission shall be composed of three Commissioners representing the State of Arkansas and three Commissioners representing the State of Oklahoma, selected as provided below; and, if designated by the President or an authorized federal agency, one Commissioner representing the United States. The President, or the federal agency authorized to make such appointments, is hereby requested to designate a Commissioner and an alternate representing the United States. The Federal Commissioner, if one be designated, shall be the Chairman and presiding officer of the Commission, but shall not have the right to vote in any of the deliberations of the Commission.
B. One Arkansas Commissioner shall be the Director of the Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission, or such other agency as may be hereafter responsible for administering water law in the state. The other two Commissioners shall reside in the Arkansas River drainage area in the State of Arkansas and shall be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to four-year staggered terms with the first two Commissioners being appointed simultaneously to terms of two (2) and four (4) years, respectively.
C. One Oklahoma Commissioner shall be the Director of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, or such other agency as may be hereafter responsible for administering water law in the state. The other two Commissioners shall reside within the Arkansas River drainage area in the State of Oklahoma and shall be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to four-year staggered terms, with the first two Commissioners being appointed simultaneously to terms of two (2) and four (4) years, respectively.
D. A majority of the Commissioners of each state and the Commissioner or his alternate representing the United States, if they are so designated, must be present to constitute a quorum. In taking any Commission action, each signatory state shall have a single vote representing the majority opinion of the Commissioners of that state.
E. In the case of a tie vote on any of the Commission's determinations, order, or other actions, a majority of the Commissioners of either state may, upon written request to the Chairman, submit the question to arbitration. Arbitration shall not be compulsory, but on the event of arbitration, there shall be three arbitrators:
F. The salaries and personal expenses of each Commissioner shall be paid by the Government which he represents. All other expenses which are incurred by the Commission incident to the administration of this Compact shall be borne equally by the two states and shall be paid by the Commission out of the “Arkansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Compact Fund,” initiated and maintained as provided in Article IX(B)(5) below. The states hereby mutually agree to appropriate sums sufficient to cover its share of the expenses incurred in the administration of this Compact, to be paid into said fund. Disbursements shall be made from said fund in such manner as may be authorized by the Commission. Such funds shall not be subject to the audit and accounting procedures of the states; however, all receipts and disbursements of funds handled by the Commission shall be audited by a qualified independent public accountant at regular intervals, and the report of such audit shall be included in and become a part of the annual report of the Commission, provided by Article IX(B)(6) below. The Commission shall not pledge the credit of either state and shall not incur any obligations prior to the availability of funds adequate to meet the same.
A. The Commission shall have the power to:
(5) Adopt rules and regulations governing its operations. The procedures employed for the administration of this Compact shall not be subject to any Administrative Procedures Act of either state, but shall be subject to the provisions hereof and to the rules and regulations of the Commission; provided, however, all rules and regulations of the Commission shall be filed with the Secretary of State of the signatory states.
(6) Cooperate with federal and state agencies and political subdivisions of the signatory states in developing principles, consistent with the provisions of this Compact and with federal and state policy, for the storage and release of water from reservoirs, both existing and future within the Arkansas River Basin, for the purpose of assuring their operation in the best interests of the states and the United States;
(7) Hold hearings and compel the attendance of witnesses for the purpose of taking testimony and receiving other appropriate and proper evidence and issuing such appropriate orders as it deems necessary for the proper administration of this Compact, which orders shall be enforceable upon the request by the Commission or any other interested party in any court of competent jurisdiction within the county wherein the subject matter to which the order relates is in existence, subject to the right of review through the appellate courts of the state of situs. Any hearing held for the promulgation and issuance of orders shall be in the county and state of the subject matter of said hearing;
(8) Make and file official certified copies of any of its findings, recommendations or reports with such officers or agencies of either state, or the United States, as may have any interest in or jurisdiction over the subject matter. Findings of fact made by the Commission shall be admissible in evidence and shall constitute prima facie evidence of such fact in any court or before any agency of competent jurisdiction. The making of findings, recommendations, or reports by the Commission shall not be a condition precedent to instituting or maintaining any action or proceeding of any kind by a signatory state in any court, or before any tribunal, agency or officer, for the protection of any right under this Compact or for the enforcement of any of its provisions;
(9) Secure from the head of any department or agency of the federal or state government such information, suggestions, estimates and statistics as it may need or believe to be useful for carrying out its functions and as may be available to or procurable by the department or agency to which the request is addressed;
A. The provisions hereof shall remain in full force and effect until changed or amended by unanimous action of the states acting through their Commissioners and until such changes are ratified by the legislatures of the respective states and consented to by the Congress of the United States in the same manner as this Compact is required to be ratified to become effective.
ARTICLE XI
Nothing in this Compact shall be deemed:
ARTICLE XII
If any part or application of this Compact should be declared invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, all other provisions and application of this Compact shall remain in full force and effect.
A. This Compact shall become binding and obligatory when it shall have been ratified by the legislature of each state and consented to by the Congress of the United States, and when the Congressional Act consenting to this Compact includes the consent of Congress to name and join the United States as a party in any litigation in the United States Supreme Court, if the United States is an indispensable party, and if the litigation arises out of this Compact or its application, and if a signatory state is a party thereto.
C. Notice of ratification by the legislature of each state shall be given by the Governor of that state to the Governor of the other state, and to the President of the United States, and the President is hereby requested to give notice to the Governor of each state of consent by the Congress of the United States.
ARKANSAS RIVER BASIN COMPACT
ARKANSAS-OKLAHOMA, 1970
MEMORANDUM OF CORRECTION
The State of Arkansas and Oklahoma, further acting through their duly-authorized compact representatives, S. Keith Jackson of Arkansas, and Glade R. Kirkpatrick of Oklahoma, hereby execute this memorandum of correction to the Arkansas River Basin Compact Arkansas-Oklahoma, 1970, executed at the City of Little Rock, State of Arkansas, on the 16th day of March, 1970, as follows:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the authorized representatives have executed three counterparts hereof each of which shall be and constitute an original, one of which shall be deposited with the Administrator of General Services of the United States, and affixed to the original Arkansas River Basin Compact Arkansas-Oklahoma, 1970, there on file, and one of which shall be forwarded to the Governor of each state and likewise affixed to said Compact there on file.
Credits
Laws 1971, c. 99, § 1.
82 Okl. St. Ann. § 1421, OK ST T. 82 § 1421
Current with emergency effective legislation through Chapter 3 of the Second Regular Session of the 59th Legislature (2024). Some sections may be more current, see credits for details.
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