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~ CHAPTER I .... U' -.J ."J AWRBIAC FUNCTIONS AND ORGANIZATION Functions The Arkansas-White-Red Basins Inter-Agency Committee1 was established by the Inter-Agency Committee on Water Resources (ICWR) in September 1955 to assist in the coordination of the water and related land resources activities of the States and Federal agencies in the three river basins. The objectives of the Committee as stated in its Charter issued by ICWR are "to provide in the Arkansas, White, and Red River Basins improved facilities and procedures for the coordination of the policies, programs, and activities of the Departments of the Interior; Commerce; Agriculture; Army; the Federal Energy Regulatory Commisaion; and the States in the field of water and related land resources investigation, planning, construction, operation, and maintenance; to provide means by which conflicts may be resolved; and to provide procedures for coor- dination of their interests with those of other Federal, local governmental and private agencies in the water and related land resources field." The AWR Committee is further charged with coordination of work and resolution of con- flicts. As successor to ICWR, the Water Resources Council directed the Com- mittee to continue under its 1955 Chartet. The Charter was amended by the Water Resources Council effective December 12, 1969, to include the Depart- ments of Transportion and Housing and Urban Development; and to update the geographic boundaries. The Environmental Protection Agency was invited to membership on March 22, 1971, and the Charter amended to include this agency to membership on September 15, 1972. On October 23, 1975, the beginning of the operating year was changed from July 1 to October 1 to reflect the new Federal fiscal year. Area and Organization The AWR Basins include the entire State of Oklahoma and those portions of the States of Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico lying within the three river basins. The geographical area includes the entire State of Oklahoma and those portions of the States of Louisiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico lying within the Arkansas-White-Red River Basins, but excluding the Ouachita River Basin, and those portions of the Arkansas, White, and Red Rivers affected by the Missis- sippi River backwater which are now included in the jurisdiction of the Mis- sissippi River Commission. The eight states of the basins and the ten Federal agencies having a participating responsibility in the development of the water and related land resources of the basins are AWRBIAC members. The Governor of each state designates the official representative on the Committee. Each Fed- eral agency has designated a representative to serve on the Committee. The Chairman Agency, selected on an a~nual basis a year in advance by and from the participating agencies, provides a Secretary to the AWRBIAC. 1 AWRBIAC as utilized herein does not refer to the original Arkansas-White- Red Basins Inter-Agency Committee which was established by Presidential directive in 1950 and dissolved in.June 1955. I