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0 .' ~") ..... .. w "" W 1.\ . . .. .\ S'l'AT:nmT ,y S'l'ATE OF OKLAHOMA Oklaholll8 water laws are based on the premise that bell!lficial and rea30nable use shall be the basis of the r1.ght to uso vater, and that vater, as Oll!l of the State's IIIOSt ~luable natural resources shall not be vasted. The purpose of OklahollB statutes is to IIBke unappro:!l1'iated vaters open to appropriation, subject to whatever private rights the courts I118Y hold to have vested by reason of ownership or riparian land or othervisa. These vater laws are set forth in detail in the booklet, "Water Laws of OklahollB," with a mimeographed supplement, "OklahollB Ground Water Law", (See also bibliography at end of Chapter IV). Since beneficial use is the basis for the right to use vater, it is necesSllry to place priorities upon uses that are beneficial. This has been dOIl!l by OklahollB statute: "Preference shall be given, first, to dOlllllstic end lIIIlnicipel vater eupply * * *; second, to supplying vater used in process of IIBnu- facture, * * * and for lIBintaining sanitary conditions of stream flow; third, for irrigation, power development, recreation, fisheries and for other uses." (82 O. S. 1941 Sec. 571) Oklaholll8 has agreed to a compact with New Mexico and Texas for the division of Canadian River vaters. In addition, the states of New Mexico, Texas, Ok1ahollB, ArkanBBs and Louisiana are interested in a Red River Compact. The Ok1ahollB Planning and Resources Board is authorized by statute to enter into such interstate compacts for the State. Ok1ahollB statutss provide that people of the State IIBY form soil conservation districts, irr1gBtion districte, conservancy districts, dre1nage districts, vater districts, and county vater improvement dis- tricte (2 O. S. 1941 Sec. 805; 82 o. S. 1941 Secs 111, 531, 281, 701, 171) . The fOrDBtion of conservancy districts my be for the purposes of preventing floods; regulating stream channels by changing, widening and deepening Slllllll; recla iming or filling wet and overflowed lands; providing for irrigation; regulating the flow of streamB; diverting or eliminating vater courses or part of the flovage thereof (82 O. S. 1941 Sec. 541). With the exception of the soil conservation districts, provisions have been mde for local participation through the BBle of bonds. Oklahom statutes prohibit the dispoSlll of harmful wastes in streams or reservoirs (82 o. S. 1941, Sec. 901) and the Oklahom Planning and Resources Board is given the authoritJ to control pollution of "all streawm, creeks, lakes, rivers, water courses, and subeurface vater in the Stete A-23