Okla. Stat. tit. 82, § 82-110.5: Oklahoma Water Resources Board - Powers and duties

The Oklahoma Water Resources Board, in addition to other powers

and duties as provided by law, shall have the following powers and

duties:

1. To promulgate rules necessary to carry out the provisions of

this act, including but not limited to rules relating to hazard and

size classifications, minimum standards for design, operation and

maintenance of dams, and fee schedules for inspections and other

services provided to carry out the dam safety program authorized by

this act;

2. To review and grant or deny applications to approve plans

and specifications for construction of new dams and modifications of

existing dams, based on the applicable minimum standards adopted

provided that an owner who proposes to construct a new dam

classified as having a low hazard potential that will be used

primarily for agriculture purposes, and will be designed or

constructed with the assistance of a local conservation district or

federal agriculture related agency, shall be required only to notify

the Board of such construction;

3. To supervise and oversee construction of new dams and

modifications of existing dams;

4. To inspect existing dams and dams under construction in

accordance with the following requirements:

a. dams classified as having a high hazard potential

shall be inspected at least once annually,

b. dams classified as having a significant hazard

potential shall be inspected at least once every three

(3) years, and

c. dams classified as having a low hazard potential shall

be inspected at least once every five (5) years;

provided, that the Board shall accept an inspection report of a

registered professional engineer having practical experience in the

analysis, design and construction of dams and employed or retained

by the owner for dams classified as high or significant hazard

potential, or by an engineer employed by any United States

governmental agency acting in an official capacity, and provided

further, for dams classified as low hazard potential, the Board may

exempt such inspections as set forth in its rules and may accept an

inspection report of a person trained in inspecting dams and who is

employed or retained by the owner. Fees for such inspections

conducted by the Board and for reviewing inspection reports prepared

by others shall be as set forth in rules promulgated by the Board;

5. To require maintenance, repairs and modifications of

existing dams as necessary, including compliance schedules, so that

minimum standards can be met;

6. To have reasonable access to public and private property for

the purpose of inspecting and investigating conditions related to

dams and to require that records of owners of dams be inspected and

copied;

7. To cooperate with agencies of federal, state and local

governments and private persons, including but not limited to the

Oklahoma Conservation Commission and local conservation districts,

in carrying out its duties under this act;

8. To disseminate information about the dam safety program; and

9. To exercise all incidental powers which are necessary and

proper to carry out the purposes of this act.