{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-82-82-862","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 82, § 82-862","heading":"Powers, rights and privileges of district","body":"The district shall have and is hereby authorized to exercise the\n\nfollowing powers, rights and privileges:\n\n1. To control, store and preserve, within the boundaries of the\n\ndistrict, the waters of Grand River and its tributaries, for any\n\nuseful purpose, and to use, distribute and sell the same within the\n\nboundaries of the district; provided, however, that any municipal\n\ncorporation within the area included within the jurisdiction of the\n\nGrand River Dam Authority shall be entitled to take water from the\n\nGrand River and any of its tributaries in any quantities that may be\n\nneeded by such municipal corporation;\n\n2. To develop and generate water power, electric power and\n\nelectric energy, from whatever source, within the boundaries of the\n\ndistrict; to acquire coal or other minerals to be used for the\n\npurposes of providing energy sources for electrical generating\n\nplants; to acquire or lease any and all railroad connections,\n\nequipment, rolling stock, trackage and otherwise, necessary to the\n\ntransporting of coal and other minerals to generating plant sites\n\nwithin the district; and to buy, sell, resell, interchange and\n\ndistribute electric power and energy in order to carry forward the\n\nbusiness and functions of the district now or hereafter authorized\n\nby law and may enter into contracts for such purposes, such\n\ncontracts to run for a period of not to exceed fifty (50) years\n\nexcept those contracts provided for in paragraphs 6 and 7 of this\n\nsection. All contracts may contain such reasonable provisions,\n\nlimitations, qualifications, protective clauses and rights and\n\nobligations of purchase and sale, and such provisions for the\n\ndedication of the use of facilities and the construction of\n\nadditional facilities to serve the load requirements of all the\n\nparties as may be deemed advisable by the district to safeguard the\n\nbusiness and properties of all the parties to such contracts, all\n\nwithin the limits of sound business judgment and practice, good\n\nconscience, and not contrary to the public policy of the state. The\n\ndistrict is further authorized to participate in the Southwest Power\n\nPool Integrated Marketplace or any other program established by a\n\nFederal Energy Regulatory Commission authorized Regional\n\nTransmission Organization in which the district is a member and to\n\nengage in the buying and selling of electricity products, fuel\n\ncommodities, and financial instruments as deemed necessary and\n\nprudent by the district and specifically excludes any expansion of\n\nretail activities of the district. The Board of Directors shall\n\nadopt a hedging policy to enable the district to take advantage of\n\nstandard market products to reduce risk while preventing speculative\n\ntrading and potential abuses;\n\n3. To prevent or aid in the prevention of damage to person or\n\nproperty from the waters of the Grand River and its tributaries;\n\n4. To forest and reforest and to aid in the foresting and\n\nreforesting of the watershed area of the Grand River and its\n\ntributaries and to prevent and to aid in the prevention of soil\n\nerosion and floods within the watershed area;\n\n5. To acquire by purchase, lease, gift, or in any other manner,\n\nand to maintain, use and operate or to contract for the maintenance,\n\nuse and operation of any and all property of any kind, real,\n\npersonal, or mixed, or any interest therein, including trucks of any\n\nsize or weight and passenger vehicles and to own, construct, operate\n\nand maintain any project or works in conjunction or jointly with, as\n\ntenants in common, any public or private corporation duly authorized\n\nand qualified to do business within this state including, but not\n\nlimited to, rural electric cooperatives of the State of Oklahoma or\n\nthe United States of America, or any department, subdivision or\n\nagency of the State of Oklahoma or the United States of America, or\n\nwith any \"public agency\" as defined under the Interlocal Cooperation\nin common, any public or private corporation duly authorized\n\nand qualified to do business within this state including, but not\n\nlimited to, rural electric cooperatives of the State of Oklahoma or\n\nthe United States of America, or any department, subdivision or\n\nagency of the State of Oklahoma or the United States of America, or\n\nwith any \"public agency\" as defined under the Interlocal Cooperation\n\nAct, within or without the boundaries of the district, necessary,\n\nincidental or convenient to the exercise of the powers, rights,\n\nprivileges and functions conferred upon it by the Grand River Dam\n\nAuthority Act;\n\n6. In addition to any other powers conferred, the district\n\nshall have power and authority to participate and enter into\n\nagreements with any public or private corporation duly authorized\n\nand qualified to do business within the State of Oklahoma including,\n\nbut not limited to, rural electric cooperatives, the state or the\n\nUnited States of America or any department, subdivision or agency of\n\nthe state or the United States of America, or with any \"public\n\nagency\" as defined under the Interlocal Cooperation Act, for the\n\npurpose of planning, acquiring, financing, owning, operating and\n\nmaintaining an undivided ownership of any electric generating plant\n\nor plants or any facilities of every kind necessary, incidental or\n\nconvenient for the production, generation and transmission of\n\nelectric power and energy including, but not limited to, any and all\n\nrelated transmission facilities, which shall be used as common\n\nfacilities. The agreements shall provide that the district and any\n\nparticipants therein shall have the incidents of tenant in common to\n\nany plant or facility. It shall also be provided in the agreements\n\nthat the district and any participant in the project shall own a\n\npercentage of any common facility equal to the percentage of the\n\nmoney furnished or the value of property supplied by it for the\n\nacquisition and construction thereof and shall own a like percentage\n\nof the electrical output thereof.\n\nEach participant shall defray its own interest payments and\n\nother payments required to be made or deposited in connection with\n\nany financing undertaken by it to pay its percentage of the money\n\nfurnished or value of property supplied by it for the planning,\n\nacquisition and construction of any common facility, or any\n\nadditions or betterments thereto. The agreement shall further\n\nprovide a uniform method of determining and allocating operation and\n\nmaintenance expenses of the common facility.\n\nIn carrying out the powers granted in this section, the district\n\nand each participant shall be severally liable only for its own acts\n\nand not jointly or severally liable for the acts, omissions or\n\nobligations of others. No money or property supplied by the\n\ndistrict or any participant for the planning, financing, acquiring,\n\nconstructing, operating or maintaining of any common plant or\n\nfacility shall be credited or otherwise applied to the account of\n\nany other participant therein, nor shall the undivided share of the\n\ndistrict or any participant therein be charged, directly or\n\nindirectly, with any debt or obligation of any other participant or\n\nbe subject to any lien as a result thereof. No action in connection\n\nwith a common facility shall be binding upon the district except as\n\nexpressly authorized and provided for in the participation\n\nagreement;\n\n7. In addition to the powers conferred in paragraph 6 of this\n\nsection, the district shall have power and authority to participate\n\nand enter into agreements with any public or private corporation\n\nduly authorized and qualified to do business within this state\n\nincluding, but not limited to, rural electric cooperatives, the\n\nState of Oklahoma or the United States of America or any department,\nnt;\n\n7. In addition to the powers conferred in paragraph 6 of this\n\nsection, the district shall have power and authority to participate\n\nand enter into agreements with any public or private corporation\n\nduly authorized and qualified to do business within this state\n\nincluding, but not limited to, rural electric cooperatives, the\n\nState of Oklahoma or the United States of America or any department,\n\nsubdivision or agency of the State of Oklahoma or the United States\n\nof America, or with any \"public agency\" as defined under the\n\nInterlocal Cooperation Act, for the purpose of planning, acquiring,\n\nfinancing, owning, operating and maintaining undivided ownership\n\ninterests in any electric generating plant or plants or any other\n\nfacilities of every kind necessary, incidental or convenient for the\n\nproduction, generation and transmission of electric power and energy\n\nincluding, but not limited to, any and all related transmission or\n\nother facilities which are to be used as common facilities and to\n\ncooperate with other state agencies and public trusts to promote\n\neconomic development in the state and to assist in attracting\n\nindustry to the state. Such undivided ownership interests may be\n\ncreated by an agreement entered into with respect to property to be\n\nacquired by the district. Any such agreement may be a sale\n\nagreement, with the purchase price payable at one time or in\n\ninstallments at such time and over such period as shall be agreed to\n\nby the parties thereto, a lease agreement, with a nominal purchase\n\noption, or any other type of agreement. In addition to the purchase\n\nprice, the district shall be fully indemnified as to operation,\n\nmaintenance, administrative and other expenses incurred with respect\n\nto such undivided interest. The district is hereby authorized to\n\nenter into any such agreement in order to sell, lease or otherwise\n\nconvey undivided ownership interests in any such property. Any such\n\nagreement shall specify the undivided interest to be owned or\n\nacquired by each of the participants, provide for a waiver of\n\npartition, prescribe the time of vesting of such interest and the\n\namount of electrical output to be owned and controlled by any\n\nparticipant.\n\nEach participant shall defray its own interest and other\n\npayments required to be made or deposited in connection with any\n\nfinancing undertaken by it to pay its percentage of the money\n\nfurnished or value of property supplied by it for the planning,\n\nacquisition and construction of any common facility, or any\n\nadditions or betterments thereto. The agreement shall provide a\n\nuniform method of determining and allocating operation and\n\nmaintenance expenses of the common facility.\n\nIn carrying out the powers granted in this section, the district\n\nand each participant shall be severally liable only for its own acts\n\nand not jointly or severally liable for the acts, omissions or\n\nobligations of others. No money or property supplied by the\n\ndistrict or any participant for the planning, financing, acquiring,\n\nconstructing, operating or maintaining of any common plant or\n\nfacility shall be credited or otherwise applied to the account of\n\nany other participant therein, nor shall the undivided share of the\n\ndistrict or any participant therein be charged, directly or\n\nindirectly, with any debt or obligation of any other participant or\n\nbe subject to any lien as a result thereof. No action in connection\n\nwith a common facility shall be binding upon the district except as\n\nexpressly authorized and provided for in the participation\n\nagreement;\n\n8. To acquire by condemnation any and all property of any kind,\n\nreal, personal, or mixed, or any interest therein, within or without\n\nthe boundaries of the district, necessary, incidental or convenient\n\nto the exercise of the powers, rights, privileges and functions\n\nconferred upon it by the Grand River Dam Authority Act, in the\nressly authorized and provided for in the participation\n\nagreement;\n\n8. To acquire by condemnation any and all property of any kind,\n\nreal, personal, or mixed, or any interest therein, within or without\n\nthe boundaries of the district, necessary, incidental or convenient\n\nto the exercise of the powers, rights, privileges and functions\n\nconferred upon it by the Grand River Dam Authority Act, in the\n\nmanner provided by general law with respect to condemnation;\n\nprovided that nothing in the Grand River Dam Authority Act shall\n\never be construed to authorize the district to acquire by\n\ncondemnation any privately, municipally or publicly owned electric\n\npublic utility system or any part thereof outside of the high-water\n\nmark of a reservoir area or outside a properly located damsite,\n\nexcept the districts may require the relocation of transmission\n\nlines and substations so owned where such relocation is necessary\n\nfor the construction and maintenance of dams, reservoirs, levees,\n\nspillways and floodways, and in such event just compensation shall\n\nbe paid. Provided that the Grand River Dam Authority shall have the\n\nright to cross transmission lines of other electric utility\n\ncompanies under proper engineering standards of construction as\n\napproved by the Corporation Commission;\n\n9. Subject to the provisions of the Grand River Dam Authority\n\nAct, from time to time sell, which shall include, but not be limited\n\nto, an installment sale agreement, lease with nominal purchase\n\noptions, or otherwise dispose of any property of any kind, real,\n\npersonal or mixed, or any interest therein, which shall not be\n\nnecessary to the carrying on of the business of the district;\n\n10. To overflow and inundate any public lands and public\n\nproperty and to require the relocation of roads and highways in the\n\nmanner and to the extent necessary to carry out the purposes of the\n\nGrand River Dam Authority Act; provided, that the district shall be\n\nliable in damages to the State of Oklahoma or any subdivision\n\nthereof for any injury occasioned or expense incurred by reason\n\nthereof;\n\n11. To construct, extend, improve, maintain and reconstruct, to\n\ncause to be constructed, extended, improved, maintained and\n\nreconstructed, and to use and operate any and all facilities of any\n\nkind necessary, incidental or convenient to the exercise of such\n\npowers, rights, privileges and functions;\n\n12. To sue and be sued in its corporate name in contracts,\n\nreverse condemnation, tort, equity, mandamus and similar actions and\n\nin its own name plead and be impleaded, provided, however, that any\n\nand all actions of law or in an equity against the district shall be\n\nbrought in the county in which the principal office of the district\n\nshall be located or in the county where the cause of action arose;\n\n13. To adopt, use and alter a corporate seal;\n\n14. To make bylaws for the management and regulation of its\n\naffairs;\n\n15. To appoint officers, agents and employees, to prescribe\n\ntheir duties and to fix their compensation; and enter into contracts\n\nwith labor unions, provided, that contracts with labor unions shall\n\nnot abrogate the rights of the district to cooperate and carry out\n\nVeterans on the Job Training;\n\n16. To make contracts and to execute instruments necessary,\n\nincidental or convenient to the exercise of the powers, rights,\n\nprivileges and functions conferred upon it by the Grand River Dam\n\nAuthority Act;\n\n17. To borrow money for its corporate purposes and, without\n\nlimitation of the generality of the foregoing, to borrow money and\n\naccept grants from the United States of America, or from any\n\ncorporation or agency created or designated by the United States of\n\nAmerica, and, in connection with any such loan or grant, to enter\n\ninto such agreements as the United States of America or such\n\ncorporation or agency may require; and to make and issue its bonds,\nout\n\nlimitation of the generality of the foregoing, to borrow money and\n\naccept grants from the United States of America, or from any\n\ncorporation or agency created or designated by the United States of\n\nAmerica, and, in connection with any such loan or grant, to enter\n\ninto such agreements as the United States of America or such\n\ncorporation or agency may require; and to make and issue its bonds,\n\nnotes, loans, commercial paper, and credit or liquidity support for\n\nmoney borrowed, in the manner provided in the Grand River Dam\n\nAuthority Act. Nothing in the Grand River Dam Authority Act shall\n\nauthorize the issuance of any bonds, notes or other evidences of\n\nindebtedness of the district, except as specifically provided in the\n\nGrand River Dam Authority Act;\n\n18. To prescribe and enforce rules for the use for recreational\n\nand commercial purposes of the lakes created by the district by\n\nimpounding the waters of the lakes, and the shorelands of the\n\ndistrict bordering thereon, including the use of firearms, the\n\ninspection of all boats of every character proposing to operate or\n\noperating on the lakes, the issuance of permits for the operation of\n\nboats, surfboards, aquaplanes, sea-skis or similar devices on the\n\nlakes for hire; the charging and collection of fees for the\n\ninspection or operation of such boats, surfboards, aquaplanes, sea-\n\nskis or other similar devices on the lakes for hire; preventing the\n\nlaunching or operation of any commercial or for-hire boat,\n\nsurfboard, aquaplane, sea-ski or similar device for hire, on the\n\nwaters of the lakes, without a certificate of inspection and a\n\npermit for such use; prescribing the type, style, location and\n\nequipment of all wharves, docks and anchorages along the shores and\n\nupon the water of the lakes; the issuance of permits for wharfage,\n\ndock or anchorage privileges and charging fees for such commercial\n\nor private permits; and the establishment and maintenance of public\n\nwharves, docks or anchorages and the charging and collection of fees\n\nfor the use thereof by the public; to appoint or employ such\n\npersons, including CLEET-certified volunteer reserve officers, as\n\nthe district may deem proper and suitable for the purpose of\n\nenforcing such rules and regulations as may be issued hereunder, or\n\nas may be issued pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Boating\n\nSafety Regulation Act, and for the enforcing of the provisions of\n\nthe Grand River Dam Authority Act, and all violations of criminal\n\nlaws occurring within the boundaries of the counties where real\n\nproperty owned or leased by the Grand River Dam Authority is\n\nlocated, which employees shall have the power of peace officers\n\nduring the performance of those duties, except in the serving or\n\nexecution of civil process.\n\nAny municipal, county or state law enforcement officer employed\n\nby the Grand River Dam Authority to serve as a part-time or seasonal\n\ncommissioned peace officer shall be exempt from the restrictions on\n\ndual office holding as provided for in paragraph 16 of subsection A\n\nof Section 6 of Title 51 of the Oklahoma Statutes;\n\n19. To do any and all other acts or things necessary,\n\nincidental or convenient to the exercise of the powers, rights,\n\nprivileges or functions conferred upon it by the Grand River Dam\n\nAuthority Act or any other act or law. Provided the district shall\n\nbe liable for damage caused by the district, its agents, servants\n\nand employees in creating, constructing, maintaining or operating\n\nthe district to any corporation, partnership, person or individual\n\nwhose property, either real or personal, within or without said\n\ndistrict, has been damaged and the damages may be determined by\n\nappropriate action as provided by law. Nothing in the Grand River\n\nDam Authority Act shall be construed as rendering the district\n\nliable for damage where it is not liable on general principles of\n\nlaw or statute or Constitutional provision.\nrship, person or individual\n\nwhose property, either real or personal, within or without said\n\ndistrict, has been damaged and the damages may be determined by\n\nappropriate action as provided by law. Nothing in the Grand River\n\nDam Authority Act shall be construed as rendering the district\n\nliable for damage where it is not liable on general principles of\n\nlaw or statute or Constitutional provision.\n\nProvided, however, that in the course of exercising its powers\n\nas herein enumerated, the district shall at all times consider the\n\nrights and needs of the people living within and upon the land lying\n\nwithin the watershed of the rivers or streams developed by the\n\ndistrict; provided, however, that nothing herein shall prevent the\n\ndistrict from selling for irrigation purposes within the boundaries\n\nof the district any water impounded by it under authority of law,\n\nprovided that nothing herein contained shall authorize the state to\n\nengage in agriculture except for educational and scientific purposes\n\nand for the support of its penal, charitable, and educational\n\ninstitutions;\n\n20. To support and assist the efforts of state, regional and\n\nlocal development organizations, political subdivisions, industrial\n\ncommittees, chambers of commerce, tourism organizations,\n\nagricultural organizations, environmental organizations, educational\n\ninstitutions and other similar public and private agencies to obtain\n\nnew and foster expansion of existing service, industrial and\n\nmanufacturing facilities, businesses and enterprises to enhance the\n\nquality of life for the citizens of the district and the state.\n\nProvided, support and assistance shall be limited to an amount not\n\nto exceed a total of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) per\n\nyear for one or more projects or efforts that are for the benefit of\n\nor impact the quality of life for each city or community located\n\nwithin the boundaries of the district; and\n\n21. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Chief\n\nExecutive Officer, department heads and other essential employees of\n\nthe district, as designated by the Chief Executive Officer, may be\n\npermitted to use a district owned vehicle to provide transportation\n\nbetween the employee's residence and the assigned place of\n\nemployment and between the residence and any location other than the\n\nassigned place of employment to which the employee travels in the\n\nperformance of the employee's official duty.","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":"59726c0bb9624d6270e4656a9d55616eda138fd17de97e084aad920767f32f95","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-82-82-861a","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-82-82-862.1"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}