{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-82-82-1085.2","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 82, § 82-1085.2","heading":"Authority of Oklahoma Water Resources Board","body":"In addition to any and all other authority conferred upon it by\n\nlaw, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board shall also have authority:\n\n1. Generally to do all such things as in its judgment may be\n\nnecessary, proper or expedient in the accomplishment of its duties;\n\n2. To make such contracts and execute such instruments as in\n\nthe judgment of the Board are necessary or convenient to the\n\nexercise of any of the powers conferred upon it by law. Provided,\n\nhowever, no contract shall be made conveying the title or use of any\n\nwaters of the State of Oklahoma to any person, firm, corporation or\n\nother state or subdivision of government, for sale or use in any\n\nother state, unless such contract be specifically authorized by an\n\nact of the Oklahoma Legislature and thereafter as approved by it;\n\n3. To negotiate contracts and other agreements with the federal\n\ngovernment to arrange for the development of water resources and for\n\nthe storage and distribution of water for beneficial purposes;\n\nprovided, however, that the Board shall act in such capacity only as\n\nan intermediary in assisting others, and under no circumstances\n\nshall the Board have any power or authority to build, construct or\n\nfinance any waterways, dams or other such projects for itself,\n\nexcept as may be otherwise specifically provided by the laws of this\n\nstate;\n\n4. To develop statewide and local plans to assure the best and\n\nmost effective use and control of water to meet both the current and\n\nlong-range needs of the people of Oklahoma; to cooperate in such\n\nplanning with any public or private agency, entity or person\n\ninterested in water, and is directed to prepare such plans for\n\nconsideration and approval by the Legislature; and to aid, at all\n\ntimes, counties, incorporated cities and towns and special purpose\n\ndistricts in the state in promoting and developing flood control and\n\nwater conservation in the state;\n\n5. To employ and fix the compensation of such officers, agents,\n\nattorneys, technical personnel and employees of the Board as it\n\nshall deem necessary to the proper performance of its duties;\n\n6. To adopt and use an official seal;\n\n7. To promulgate such rules and make orders as it may deem\n\nnecessary or convenient to the exercise of any of the powers or the\n\nperformance of any of the duties conferred or imposed upon it by\n\nthis or any other law;\n\n8. To institute and maintain, or to intervene in, any actions\n\nor proceedings in or before any court, board, commission or officer\n\nof this or any other state or of the United States to stop or\n\nprevent any use, misuse, appropriation or taking of any of the\n\nwaters of this state which is in whole or in part in violation of\n\nany law, or of any rules, orders, judgments or decrees of any court,\n\nboard, commission or officer of this or any state or of the United\n\nStates; and to institute and maintain or intervene in any other\n\naction or proceeding where the Board deems it necessary to the\n\nproper execution and discharge of any of the powers or duties\n\nconferred or imposed upon it by law;\n\n9. To determine, charge and receive fees to be collected in\n\nadvance for the filing and examination of applications for permits\n\nto:\n\na. construct water use works,\n\nb. appropriate groundwater,\n\nc. appropriate stream water,\n\nd. establish vested rights,\n\ne. inspect water use works,\n\nf. file other papers,\n\ng. make copies of documents,\n\nh. make prints of maps and drawings,\n\ni. certify copies of documents, maps and drawings,\n\nj. file transfers of water rights,\n\nk. gauge wells and ditches, changes in point of diversion\n\nand changes in place of use of water,\n\nl. test wells, and\n\nm. hold hearings, make records and provide transcripts of\n\nhearings.\n\nSuch fees shall not be collected from any state agency or state\n\ninstitution;\n\n10. To negotiate contracts or water compacts with the federal\n\ngovernment or any department or bureau thereof, or with any other\nts,\n\nk. gauge wells and ditches, changes in point of diversion\n\nand changes in place of use of water,\n\nl. test wells, and\n\nm. hold hearings, make records and provide transcripts of\n\nhearings.\n\nSuch fees shall not be collected from any state agency or state\n\ninstitution;\n\n10. To negotiate contracts or water compacts with the federal\n\ngovernment or any department or bureau thereof, or with any other\n\nstate for the purpose of obtaining assistance and cooperation in the\n\naccomplishment of the purpose of flood control and water\n\nconservation and use in the state. To that end, the Board may match\n\nfunds with the federal government and with other states upon such\n\nterms as shall be agreed upon and approved by the Governor of the\n\nstate, with the limitation that contracts or water compacts with\n\nother states for the division and apportionment of the cost and use\n\nof the water controlled by interstate projects shall be submitted to\n\nand approved by the Legislature of the state and the Governor of the\n\nstate, and Congress and the President of the United States\n\nconformable to the State and Federal Constitutions;\n\n11. To accept gifts and grants of money and property or any\n\ninterest therein;\n\n12. To provide funding from federal and state monies for water\n\nand wastewater project purposes to eligible entities for preliminary\n\nengineering reports and planning and feasibility studies;\n\n13. To sell or dispose of real or personal property held by the\n\nBoard when no longer needed in such manner as provided by law;\n\n14. To make appropriations of water to all special purpose\n\ndistricts;\n\n15. To execute and deliver, without actual consideration\n\ntherefor, a written release of any easement or easement deed\n\nheretofore given to the Conservation Commission of the State of\n\nOklahoma, the Planning and Resources Board or the Oklahoma Water\n\nResources Board on lands situated in this state, whenever it shall\n\nappear to said Oklahoma Water Resources Board that the need for such\n\neasement or easement deed no longer exists; provided, the owner of\n\nthe lands affected shall file a written application for such release\n\nwith the Oklahoma Water Resources Board;\n\n16. To review disputes involving service areas or territories,\n\nrates for raw or treated water, and abrogation clauses in contracts\n\namong municipalities and rural water districts or not-for-profit\n\nrural water corporations; to recommend mediation and refer parties\n\nin appropriate disputes to mediators and provide technical\n\ninformation to such mediators; and to recommend other means of\n\nresolving disputes; provided, that no party to such dispute may\n\ninitiate action in any district court regarding the dispute until\n\nwritten notice of the dispute has been filed with the Board;\n\nprovided further that the provisions of this paragraph shall not be\n\nconstrued to diminish any right of access to the court granted to a\n\nparty by law;\n\n17. To provide workshop training sessions for board members of\n\nrural water districts and not-for-profit rural water corporations\n\nthroughout the year on a regional basis for the purpose of study and\n\ninstruction in the areas of financing, law and the ethics, duties\n\nand responsibilities of such board members. Such training shall be\n\nprovided by the Board in conjunction with the Oklahoma Rural Water\n\nAssociation as required by law. To the extent possible, the Board\n\nshall attempt to schedule training workshops in three-hour segments\n\nto be held in any public facility at a time convenient to the\n\nattendees;\n\n18. To establish an agency special account through the Office\n\nof Management and Enterprise Services and the State Treasurer's\n\nOffice as necessary for the collection and distribution of funds,\n\nincluding funds of sponsors and registration fees related to\n\nconferences, meetings and training sessions; and\n\n19. To accredit persons having requisite knowledge in\nt a time convenient to the\n\nattendees;\n\n18. To establish an agency special account through the Office\n\nof Management and Enterprise Services and the State Treasurer's\n\nOffice as necessary for the collection and distribution of funds,\n\nincluding funds of sponsors and registration fees related to\n\nconferences, meetings and training sessions; and\n\n19. To accredit persons having requisite knowledge in\n\nfloodplain management and in minimization and prevention of flood\n\nhazards and losses.","path":["OK Code","Title 82"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os82.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"6e3732c326639e6fe165cc1197578e65a6231f0080ac40b4bb045db516bd951d","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-82-82-1085.19","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-82-82-1085.20"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}