Federal-Interstate Compact Commissions: Useful Mechanisms for Planning and Managing River Basin Operations

A review was undertaken of the two existing Federal-interstate compact commissions, the Delaware and Susquehanna River Basins Commissions, to evaluate their effectiveness in dealing with water problems. Federal-interstate compacts are formal agreements between two or more States and the United States to promote effective basinwide water resources management. They reflect a significant departure from traditional compacts in that: (1) the United States is a signatory party with the States, and (2) extremely broad powers are granted to the compact commissions. The commissions are responsible for multipurpose planning, management, and development of the river basins' resources.