{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-74-74-6106","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 74, § 74-6106","heading":"Text of compact","body":"TEXT OF COMPACT\n\nThe Red River Boundary Compact reads as follows:\n\nRED RIVER BOUNDARY COMPACT\n\nARTICLE I. PURPOSE\n\nA. The States of Oklahoma and Texas recognize that:\n\n1. There are actual and potential disputes, controversies,\n\ncriminal proceedings, and litigation arising, or that may arise, out\n\nof the location of the boundary line between the states along the\n\nRed River;\n\n2. The south bank of the Red River is the boundary between the\n\nstates along the Red River;\n\n3. The boundary between the states changes as a result of the\n\nnatural action of the river and, because of those changes and the\n\nnature of the land, the south bank of the river is often not readily\n\nor easily identified;\n\n4. While the south bank, at any given time, may be located\n\nthrough expensive and time-consuming survey techniques, such surveys\n\ncan, at best, identify the south bank only as it exists at the time\n\nof the survey;\n\n5. Locating the south bank through survey techniques is of\n\nminimal aid when agencies of the party states must locate the state\n\nboundary line for law enforcement, administrative and taxation\n\npurposes; and\n\n6. The interests of the party states are better served by\n\nestablishing the boundary between the states through use of a\n\nreadily identifiable natural landmark than through use of an\n\nartificial survey line.\n\nB. It is the principal purpose of the party states in entering\n\ninto this compact to establish an identifiable boundary between the\n\nstates of Oklahoma and Texas along the Red River as of the effective\n\ndate of this compact without changing title of any person or entity,\n\npublic or private, to land adjacent to the Red River. In addition,\n\nthis compact serves the compelling purposes of:\n\n1. Creation of a friendly and harmonious interstate\n\nrelationship;\n\n2. Avoidance of multiple exercise of sovereignty and\n\njurisdiction, including matters of taxation, judicial and police\n\npowers, and exercise of administrative authority;\n\n3. Avoidance of lack of exercise of sovereignty and\n\njurisdiction over any lands along the boundary;\n\n4. Avoidance of questions of venue in civil and criminal\n\nproceedings that may arise as a result of incidents along the\n\nboundary and avoidance or minimization of future disputes and\n\nlitigation;\n\n5. Promotion of economic and political stability; and\n\n6. Placement of the boundary at a location that can be visually\n\nidentified or located without the necessity of a current survey and\n\nthat is close to the historical boundary location.\n\nARTICLE II. ESTABLISHMENT OF BOUNDARY\n\nA. As used in this article:\n\n1. “Vegetation” means trees, shrubs, grasses, and other plant\n\nspecies that substantially cover the ground. Whether the vegetation\n\nsubstantially covers the ground is determined by reference to the\n\ndensity of the coverage of the ground by trees, shrubs, grasses, and\n\nother plant species in the area adjacent to the relevant portion of\n\nthe riverbed; and\n\n2. “Vegetation line” means the visually identifiable continuous\n\nline of vegetation that is adjacent to that portion of the riverbed\n\nkept practically bare of vegetation by the natural flow of the river\n\nand is continuous with the vegetation beyond the riverbed. Stray\n\nvegetation, patches of vegetation, or islands of vegetation within\n\nthe riverbed that do not form such a line are not considered part of\n\nthe vegetation line. Where the riverbed is entered by the inflow of\n\nanother watercourse or is otherwise interrupted or disturbed by a\n\nman-made event, the line constituting the boundary is an artificial\n\nline formed by extending the vegetation line above and below the\n\nother watercourse or interrupted or disturbed area to connect and\n\ncross the watercourse or area.\n\nB. The permanent political boundary line between the states of\n\nOklahoma and Texas along the Red River is the vegetation line along\n\nthe south bank of the Red River except for the Texoma area, where\nuting the boundary is an artificial\n\nline formed by extending the vegetation line above and below the\n\nother watercourse or interrupted or disturbed area to connect and\n\ncross the watercourse or area.\n\nB. The permanent political boundary line between the states of\n\nOklahoma and Texas along the Red River is the vegetation line along\n\nthe south bank of the Red River except for the Texoma area, where\n\nthe boundary does not change. For purposes of this compact:\n\n1. The Texoma area extends from the east bank of Shawnee Creek\n\n(which flows into the Red River from the south approximately one-\n\nhalf (1/2) mile below the Denison Dam) at its mouth to the upper end\n\nof the normal pool elevation of Lake Texoma (which is six hundred\n\nseventeen (617) feet); and\n\n2. The upper end of the normal pool elevation of Lake Texoma is\n\nalong the latitude of 33 degrees 54 minutes as it crosses the\n\nwatercourse at the approximate location of longitude 96 degrees 59\n\nminutes.\n\nC. The party states agree that the existing boundary within the\n\nTexoma area begins at the intersection of the vegetation line on the\n\nsouth bank of the Red River with the east bank of Shawnee Creek.\n\nFrom this point, the boundary extends west along the south bank of\n\nthe Red River. From Shawnee Creek to Denison Dam, this boundary\n\nline is within the current channel of the Red River. The boundary\n\nline from Shawnee Creek to the Denison Dam may be established using\n\nthe Lake Texoma Fishing and Boating Map, No. A353, published by “FHS\n\nMaps” , containing acknowledgments for the data source to the United\n\nTM\n\nStates Geological Survey and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,\n\nhereinafter referred to as “Reference Map”. From the east bank of\n\nShawnee Creek to the base of the Denison Dam, the boundary between\n\nthe State of Oklahoma and the State of Texas may be the line which\n\nis depicted by the Reference Map as an extension of a black dashed\n\nline comprised of the following repeating characters (“-..-”) east\n\nfrom the body of Lake Texoma across the depiction of the Denison\n\nDam, thence continuing eastward until the line connects to a point\n\nat the intersection of the east bank of Shawnee Creek and the south\n\nbank of the Red River. Within Lake Texoma, this boundary line\n\nfollows the south bank of the Red River as the bank was located and\n\nmarked by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.\n\nD. Within one (1) year after the date the United States\n\nCongress consents to this compact, the Commissioner of the General\n\nLand Office of Texas and a designated member of the Oklahoma Red\n\nRiver Boundary Commission, as chosen by the Commission, shall:\n\n1. Locate the boundary line within the Texoma area as described\n\nby subsection C of this article, using the survey that the United\n\nStates Army Corps of Engineers prepared in connection with the\n\nconstruction of Lake Texoma and any other surveys, historical maps,\n\nor other information that may be available;\n\n2. Prepare a map of the boundary line; and\n\n3. Prepare a document styled “Lake Texoma Area Boundary\n\nAgreement”, which shall incorporate by reference and have attached\n\nas an exhibit a map of the boundary in the Lake Texoma area. Upon\n\nagreement, signature and acknowledgment by both persons, the “Lake\n\nTexoma Area Boundary Agreement” shall have the legal effect of\n\nestablishing the boundary within the Lake Texoma area. The “Lake\n\nTexoma Area Boundary Agreement”, when adopted pursuant to a\n\nresolution of the Contingency Review Board acting on behalf of the\n\nState of Oklahoma and when adopted pursuant to the applicable\n\nrequirements of laws of the State of Texas, shall amend the\n\nprovisions of the Red River Boundary Compact and constitute part of\n\nthe terms of the Red River Boundary Compact. The governors of the\n\nrespective party states shall file the “Lake Texoma Area Boundary\nn behalf of the\n\nState of Oklahoma and when adopted pursuant to the applicable\n\nrequirements of laws of the State of Texas, shall amend the\n\nprovisions of the Red River Boundary Compact and constitute part of\n\nthe terms of the Red River Boundary Compact. The governors of the\n\nrespective party states shall file the “Lake Texoma Area Boundary\n\nAgreement” in the state library and archives of each party state and\n\nwith the Oklahoma Secretary of State.\n\nE. Within one (1) year after the date the “Lake Texoma Area\n\nBoundary Agreement” is filed under paragraph 3 of subsection D of\n\nthis article, there shall be a permanently marked boundary line\n\nwithin the Texoma area as shown on the map constituting the exhibit\n\nto the “Lake Texoma Area Boundary Agreement”. The boundary line\n\nshall be maintained with markers annually, or more frequently if\n\nnecessary subject to any requirement or restriction of law or\n\nresulting from a judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.\n\nF. The party states may:\n\n1. Agree to equally share the cost of monumenting and\n\nmaintaining the lines demarking both the boundary within the Texoma\n\narea and the upper limit of the normal pool elevation in a manner\n\ndesigned to make the boundary readily identifiable to the using\n\npublic; or\n\n2. Seek funding from other sources for monumenting and\n\nmaintaining the lines.\n\nG. Should there be a change in the watercourse of the Red\n\nRiver, the party states recognize the rules of accretion, erosion,\n\nand avulsion. The states agree that accretion or erosion may cause\n\na change in the boundary between the states if it causes a change in\n\nthe vegetation line. With regard to avulsion, the states agree that\n\na change in the course of the Red River caused by an immediately\n\nperceivable natural event that changes the vegetation line will\n\nchange the location of the boundary between the states.\n\nARTICLE III. SOVEREIGNTY\n\nOn the effective date of this compact, the party states agree\n\nthat the State of Oklahoma possesses sovereignty over all lands\n\nnorth of the boundary line established by this compact and that the\n\nState of Texas possesses sovereignty over all lands south of the\n\nboundary line established by this compact. This compact does not\n\nchange or affect in any manner the sovereign rights of federally\n\nrecognized Indian tribes over tribal lands on either side of the\n\nboundary line established by this compact. Tribal sovereignty\n\nrights continue to be established and defined by controlling federal\n\nlaw.\n\nARTICLE IV. PENDING LITIGATION\n\nThis compact does not affect the jurisdiction of any litigation\n\nconcerning the title to any of the lands bordering the Red River\n\npending in the courts of either of the party states or the United\n\nStates as of the effective date of this compact. The states intend\n\nthat such litigation, if any, continue in the trial and appellate\n\ncourts of the jurisdiction where pending, until the litigation is\n\nfinally determined.\n\nARTICLE V. PUBLIC RECORDS\n\nA. All public records in either party state concerning any\n\nlands the sovereignty over which is changed by this compact are\n\naccepted as evidence of record title to such lands, to and including\n\nthe effective date of this compact, by the courts of the other state\n\nand the federal courts.\n\nB. As to lands the sovereignty over which is changed by this\n\ncompact, the recording officials of the counties of each party state\n\nshall accept for filing certified copies of documents of title\n\npreviously filed in the other state and documents of title using\n\nlegal descriptions derived from the land descriptions of the other\n\nstate. The acceptance of a document for filing has no bearing on\n\nits legal effect or sufficiency. The legal sufficiency of a\n\ndocument’s form, execution, and acknowledgments and the document’s\n\nability to convey or otherwise affect title, are determined by the\ntle\n\npreviously filed in the other state and documents of title using\n\nlegal descriptions derived from the land descriptions of the other\n\nstate. The acceptance of a document for filing has no bearing on\n\nits legal effect or sufficiency. The legal sufficiency of a\n\ndocument’s form, execution, and acknowledgments and the document’s\n\nability to convey or otherwise affect title, are determined by the\n\ndocument itself and the real estate laws of the jurisdiction in\n\nwhich the land was located at the time the document was executed or\n\ntook effect.\n\nARTICLE VI. TAXES\n\nA. Except as provided by subsections B and C of this article,\n\nthe lands the sovereignty over which is changed by this compact are,\n\nafter the effective date of this compact, subject to taxation only\n\nby the state gaining sovereignty over the lands by this compact.\n\nB. Taxes for the year of adoption of this compact for property\n\nthe jurisdiction over which is changed by this compact may be\n\nlawfully imposed only by the state in which the property was located\n\non January 1 of the year of adoption of this compact. The taxes for\n\nthe year of adoption may be levied and collected by that state or\n\nits authorized governmental subdivisions or agencies, and any liens\n\nor other rights accrued or accruing, including the right of\n\ncollection, are fully recognized, except that all liens or other\n\nrights arising out of the imposition of those taxes must be claimed\n\nor asserted within five (5) years after this compact takes effect or\n\nthey are barred.\n\nC. The party states recognize that the boundary between the\n\nstates will change from time to time as a result of the natural\n\nactions of accretion, erosion, and avulsion and agree that for years\n\nsubsequent to the year of adoption of this compact, the state within\n\nwhich lands adjoining the boundary line are located on January 1 of\n\neach year has the right to levy and collect taxes for the entire\n\nensuing year.\n\nD. All taxes currently assessed by governmental entities in\n\neach party state as to lands that border or cross the boundary line\n\nestablished by this compact are presumed to be correct as to acreage\n\nwithin the particular jurisdiction, absent competent proof to the\n\ncontrary presented in writing by the property owner or owners to the\n\nappropriate taxing agencies. All such proof must be presented to\n\nthe appropriate taxing agencies before May 1 of the year following\n\nthe year in which this compact takes effect. In subsequent years it\n\nis presumed that the acreage taxed in each jurisdiction for the\n\nprevious year was correct unless evidence of change is furnished to\n\nor obtained by the various taxing agencies under rules and\n\nregulations adopted by those taxing agencies.\n\nARTICLE VII. PROPERTY AND WATER RIGHTS\n\nThis compact does not change:\n\n1. The title of any person or entity, public or private, to any\n\nof the lands adjacent to the Red River;\n\n2. The rights, including riparian rights, if any, of any person\n\nor entity, public or private, that exist as a result of the person’s\n\nor entity’s title to lands adjacent to the Red River; or\n\n3. The boundaries of those lands.\n\nARTICLE VIII. EFFECTIVE DATE\n\nThis compact takes effect when enacted by the states of Oklahoma\n\nand Texas and consented to by the United States Congress.\n\nARTICLE IX. ENFORCEMENT\n\nA. This compact does not limit or prevent either party state\n\nfrom instituting or maintaining any action or proceeding, legal or\n\nequitable, in any court having jurisdiction, for the protection of\n\nany right under this compact or the enforcement of any of its\n\nprovisions.\n\nB. This compact is not binding or obligatory on either party\n\nstate unless and until it has been enacted by both states and\n\nconsented to by the United States Congress. Notice of enactment of\n\nthis compact by each state shall be given by the Governor of that\n\nstate to the Governor of the other state and to the President of the\nright under this compact or the enforcement of any of its\n\nprovisions.\n\nB. This compact is not binding or obligatory on either party\n\nstate unless and until it has been enacted by both states and\n\nconsented to by the United States Congress. Notice of enactment of\n\nthis compact by each state shall be given by the Governor of that\n\nstate to the Governor of the other state and to the President of the\n\nUnited States. The president is requested to give notice to the\n\ngovernors of the party states of the consent to this compact by the\n\nUnited States Congress.\n\nARTICLE X. AMENDMENTS\n\nThis compact remains in full force and effect unless amended in\n\nthe same manner as it was created.","path":["OK Code","Title 74"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os74.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"cc3a4ec20950b7afeb4d210779b5b3f2afcfe11ce324c684713a089eaf268c93","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-74-74-6105","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-74-74-6107"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}