US Code

Public Law 119-83 (04/13/2026)

42 U.S.C. § 1962b

Creation of commissions; powers and duties

(a)
The President is authorized to declare the establishment of a river basin water and related land resources commission upon request therefor by the Council, or request addressed to the Council by a State within which all or part of the basin or basins concerned are located if the request by the Council or by a State (1) defines the area, river basin, or group of related river basins for which a commission is requested, (2) is made in writing by the Governor or in such manner as State law may provide, or by the Council, and (3) is concurred in by the Council and by not less than one-half of the States within which portions of the basin or basins concerned are located and, in the event the Upper Colorado River Basin is involved, by at least three of the four States of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming or, in the event the Columbia River Basin is involved, by at least three of the four States of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Such concurrences shall be in writing.
(b)
section 1962–1 of this title Each such commission for an area, river basin, or group of river basins shall, to the extent consistent with —
(1)
serve as the principal agency for the coordination of Federal, State, interstate, local and nongovernmental plans for the development of water and related land resources in its area, river basin, or group of river basins;
(2)
Provided prepare and keep up to date, to the extent practicable, a comprehensive, coordinated, joint plan for Federal, State, interstate, local and nongovernmental development of water and related resources: , That the plan shall include an evaluation of all reasonable alternative means of achieving optimum development of water and related land resources of the basin or basins, and it may be prepared in stages, including recommendations with respect to individual projects;
(3)
recommend long-range schedules of priorities for the collection and analysis of basic data and for investigation, planning, and construction of projects; and
(4)
foster and undertake such studies of water and related land resources problems in its area, river basin, or group of river basins as are necessary in the preparation of the plan described in clause (2) of this subsection.

Pub. L. 89–80, title II, § 20179 Stat. 246 (, , .)

Executive Documents

Executive Order No. 11331

Ex. Ord. No. 11331, , 32 F.R. 3875, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 11613, , 36 F.R. 14299; Ex. Ord. No. 12038, , 43 F.R. 4957; Ex. Ord. No. 12148, , 44 F.R. 43239, which provided for the establishment, jurisdiction, functions, etc., of the Pacific Northwest River Basins Commission, was revoked, effective , by section 5(a)(1) of Ex. Ord. No. 12319, , 46 F.R. 45591, set out below.

Executive Order No. 11345

Ex. Ord. No. 11345, , 32 F.R. 6329, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 11613, , 36 F.R. 14299; Ex. Ord. No. 11646, , 37 F.R. 2925; Ex. Ord. No. 11882, , 40 F.R. 46293; Ex. Ord. No. 12038, , 43 F.R. 4957; Ex. Ord. No. 12148, , 44 F.R. 43239, which provided for the establishment, jurisdiction, functions, etc., of the Great Lakes Basin Commission, was revoked, effective , by section 5(a)(2) of Ex. Ord. No. 12319, , 46 F.R. 45591, set out below.

Executive Order No. 11359

Ex. Ord. No. 11359, eff. , 32 F.R. 8851, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 11613, eff. , 36 F.R. 14299; Ex. Ord. No. 11635, eff. , 36 F.R. 23615, which established the Souris-Red-Rainy Basins Commission, was superseded by Ex. Ord. No. 11737, , 38 F.R. 24883, formerly set out below.

Executive Order No. 11371

Ex. Ord. No. 11371, , 32 F.R. 12903, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 11528, , 35 F.R. 6695; Ex. Ord. No. 11613, , 36 F.R. 14299; Ex. Ord. No. 11707, , 38 F.R. 6877; Ex. Ord. No. 11882, , 40 F.R. 46293; Ex. Ord. No. 12038, , 43 F.R. 4957; Ex. Ord. No. 12148, , 44 F.R. 43239, which provided for the establishment, jurisdiction, functions, etc., of the New England River Basins Commission, was revoked, effective , by section 5(a)(3) of Ex. Ord. No. 12319, , 46 F.R. 45592, set out below.

Executive Order No. 11578

Ex. Ord. No. 11578, , 36 F.R. 683, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 11882, , 40 F.R. 46293; Ex. Ord. No. 12038, , 43 F.R. 4957; Ex. Ord. No. 12148, , 44 F.R. 43239, which provided for the establishment, jurisdiction, functions, etc., of the Ohio River Basin Commission, was revoked, effective , by section 5(a)(4) of Ex. Ord. No. 12319, , 46 F.R. 45592, set out below.

Executive Order No. 11613

Ex. Ord. No. 11613, , 36 F.R. 14299, which provided for membership of the Environmental Protection Agency on the Pacific Northwest River Basins Commission, the Great Lakes Basin Commission, the Souris-Red-Rainy River Basins Commission, and the New England River Basins Commission, was omitted in view of the revocation of Ex. Ord. Nos. 11331, 11345, 11359, and 11371, which provided for the establishment, jurisdiction, functions, etc., of the Pacific Northwest River Basins Commission, the Great Lakes Basin Commission, the Souris-Red-Rainy River Basins Commission, and the New England River Basins Commission, respectively. See notes set out above.

Executive Order No. 11658

Ex. Ord. No. 11658, , 37 F.R. 6045, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 11882, , 40 F.R. 46293; Ex. Ord. No. 12038, , 43 F.R. 4957; Ex. Ord. No. 12148, , 44 F.R. 43239, which provided for the establishment, jurisdiction, functions, etc., of the Missouri River Basin Commission, was revoked, effective , by section 5(a)(5) of Ex. Ord. No. 12319, , 46 F.R. 45592, set out below.

Executive Order No. 11659

Ex. Ord. No. 11659, , 37 F.R. 6047, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 11737, , 38 F.R. 24883; Ex. Ord. No. 11882, , 40 F.R. 46293; Ex. Ord. No. 12038, , 43 F.R. 4957; Ex. Ord. No. 12148, , 44 F.R. 43239, which provided for the establishment, jurisdiction, functions, etc., of the Upper Mississippi River Basin Commission, was revoked, effective , by section 5(b) of Ex. Ord. No. 12319, , 46 F.R. 45592, set out below.

Executive Order No. 11737

Ex. Ord. No. 11737, , 38 F.R. 24883, which provided for the enlargement of the Upper Mississippi River Basin Commission, transferred all funds, property, etc., of the Souris-Red-Rainy River Basins Commission to the Upper Mississippi River Basin Commission, and superseded Ex. Ord. Nos. 11359 and 11635, was omitted in view of the revocation of Ex. Ord. No. 11659, which established the Upper Mississippi River Basin Commission and provided for its jurisdiction, functions, etc. See note set out above.

Executive Order No. 11882

section 7151 of this titleEx. Ord. No. 11882, , 40 F.R. 46293, relating to membership of the Energy Research and Development Administration on established river basin commissions, was omitted pursuant to Ex. Ord. No. 12038, , 43 F.R. 4957, set out as a note under .

Ex. Ord. No. 12319. Termination of Certain River Basin Commissions

Ex. Ord. No. 12319, , 46 F.R. 45591, provided:

42 U.S.C. 1962By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States, in order to ensure the orderly termination of the six river basin commissions established pursuant to the Water Resources Planning Act ( et seq.), it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section42 U.S.C. 1962b–2(a) 1. In accord with the decision of the Water Resources Council pursuant to Section 203(a) of the Water Resources Planning Act (), the following river basin commissions shall terminate on the date indicated:

(a) Pacific Northwest River Basins Commission, terminated on .

(b) Great Lakes Basin Commission, terminated on .

(c) Ohio River Basin Commission, terminated on .

(d) New England River Basins Commission, terminated on .

(e) Missouri River Basin Commission, terminated on .

(f) Upper Mississippi River Basin Commission, terminated on .

Sec. 2. All Federal agencies shall cooperate with the commissions and the member States to achieve an orderly close out of commission activities and, if the member States so elect, to carry out an orderly transition of appropriate commission activities to the member States.

Sec. 3. To the extent permitted by law, the assets of the commissions which the Federal Government might otherwise be entitled to claim are to be transferred to the member States of the commissions, or such entities as the States acting through their representatives on the commissions may designate, to be used for such water and related land resources planning purposes as the States may decide among themselves. The terms and conditions for transfer of assets under this Section shall be subject to the approval of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, or such Federal agency as he designates, before the transfer is effective.

Sec. 4. Federal agency members of river basin commissions are directed to continue coordination and cooperation in future State and inter-State basin planning arrangements.

Sec. 5. (a) Effective , the following Executive Orders are revoked:

(1) Executive Order No. 11331, as amended, which established the Pacific Northwest River Basins Commission.

(2) Executive Order No. 11345, as amended, which established the Great Lakes Basin Commission.

(3) Executive Order No. 11371, as amended, which established the New England River Basins Commission.

(4) Executive Order No. 11578, as amended, which established the Ohio River Basin Commission.

(5) Executive Order No. 11658, as amended, which established the Missouri River Basin Commission.

(b) Effective , Executive Order No. 11659, as amended, which established the Upper Mississippi River Basin Commission, is revoked.

Ronald Reagan.