An Act granting the consent of Congress to a compact entered into by the States of Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico relating to the waters of the Canadian River
PL 82-345 (S.1798), enacted 05/17/1952

74 
PUBLIC LAW 345--MAY 17, 1952 
[66 S T A T . 
Olympic Week. 
every participant to do his very best to win in a manner that will 
reflect credit upon himself or herself, and the country represented; 
and 
Whereas the peoples of the world in these trying times require above 
all else occasions for friendship and understanding, and among the 
most telling things which influence the opinions of people of other 
countries are the acts of individuals and not those of governments; 
and 
Whereas experiences afforded by the Olympic Games make a unique 
contribution to common understanding and mutual respect among 
all peoples; and 
Whereas previous Olympic Games have proved that competitors and 
spectators alike have been imbued with the Olympic ideals of friend-
ship, chivalry, and comradeship and impressed with the fact that 
accomplishment is reward in itself; and 
Whereas the United States Olympic Association, in accordance with 
the provisions of its Federal charter, is presently engaged in select-
ing individuals and teams to represent the United States in the 
games at Helsinki and making arrangements for their equipment, 
transportation, feeding, housing, and competition; and 
Whereas, the United States Olympic Association, an organization not 
for pecuniary profit or gain, its activities being wholly supported 
by the public, is now making an appeal for the sum of $850,000, 
necessary to equip, transport, feed, house, and present in competition 
over four hundred amateur athletes from all classes of our society 
and all parts of our country to represent the United States in the 
1952 Olympic Games: Therefore, be it 
Resolved hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the United 
States of America in Congress assembled^ That the President of the 
United States is authorized and requested to issue a proclamation 
designating the seven-day period beginning May 18, 1952, as Olympic 
Week and urging all citizens of our country to contribute as generously 
as possible to insure that the United States will be fully and adequately 
represented in the XVth Olympic Games. 
Approved May 16, 1952. 
May 17. 1952 
[S. 1798] 
Public Law 345 
CHAPTER 306 
AN ACT 
Granting the consent of Congress to a compact entered into by the States of 
Olilahoma, Texas, and New Mexico relating to the waters of the Canadian 
River. 
Canadian River 
Con:^>act. 
Consent of Con-
gress. 
4 3 u s e 
6 0 0 c 
note. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Represejitatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That the consent of 
the Congress is hereby given to the compact authorized by the Act of 
April 29,1950 (64 Stat. 93), signed by the commissioners for the States 
of Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico at Santa Fe, New Mexico, on 
December 6, 1950, and thereafter ratified and approved by the legisla-
tures of the States of Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico, which 
compact reads as follows: 
"CANADIAN RIVER COMPACT 
"The State of New Mexico, the State of Texas, and the State of 
Oklahoma, acting through their Commissioners, John H. Bliss for the 
State of New Mexico, E. V. Spence for the State of Texas, and Clarence 
Burch for the State of Oklahoma, after negotiations participated in by 
66 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 3 4 5 - M A Y 17, 1952 
75 
Berkeley Johnson, appointed by the President as the representative of 
the United States of America, have agreed respecting Canadian River 
as follows: 
u 
ARTICLE I 
"The major purposes of this Compact are to promote interstate 
comity; to remove causes of present and future controversy; to make 
secure and protect present developments within the States; and to pro-
vide for the construction of additional works for the conservation of 
the waters of Canadian River. 
"ARTICLE II 
"As used in this Compact: 
"(a) the term 'Canadian River' means the tributary of Arkansas 
River which rises in northeastern New Mexico and flows in an easterly 
direction through New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma and includes 
North Canadian River and all other tributaries of said Canadian River, 
"(b) The term 'North Canadian River' means that major tributary 
of Canadian River officially known as North Canadian River from 
its source to its junction with Canadian River and includes all tribu-
taries of North Canadian River. 
"(c) The term 'Commission' means the agency created by this Com-
pact for the administration thereof. 
"(d) The term 'conservation storage' means that portion of the 
capacity of reservoirs available for the storage of water for subsequent 
release for domestic, municipal, irrigation and industrial uses, or any 
of them, and it excludes any portion of the capacity of reservoirs 
allocated solely to flood control, power production and sediment 
control, or any of them. 
"ARTICLE III 
"All rights to any of the waters of Canadian River which have 
been perfected by beneficial use are hereby recognized and affirmed. 
"ARTICLE IV 
"(a) New Mexico shall have free and unrestricted use of all waters 
originating in the drainage basin of Canadian River above Conchas 
Dam. 
"(b) New Mexico shall have free and unrestricted use of all waters 
originating in the drainage basin of Canadian River in New Mexico 
below Conchas Dam, provided that the amount of conservation storage 
in New Mexico available for impounding these waters which orig-
inate in the drainage basin of Canadian River below Conchas Dam 
shall be limited to an aggregate of 200,000 acre-feet. 
"(c) The right of New Mexico to provide conservation storage iu 
the drainage basin of North Canadian River shall be limited to the 
storage of such water as at the time may be unappropriated under 
the laws of New Mexico and of Okahoma. 
"ARTICLE V 
"Texas shall have free and unrestricted use of all waters of Canadian 
River in Texas, subject to the limitations upon storage of water set 
forth below: 
"(a) The right of Texas to impound any of the waters of North 
Canadian River shall be limited to storage on tributaries of said River 
in Texas for municipal uses, for household and domestic uses, live-
stock watering, and the irrigation of lands which are cultivated solely 
for the purpose of providing food and feed for the householders and 
domestic livestock actually living or kept on the property. 
T6 
PUBLIC LAW 345-MAY 17, 1952 
[66 S T A T . 
"(b) Until more than 300,000 acre feet of conservation storage shall 
be provided in Oklahoma, exclusive of reservoirs in the drainage basin 
of North Canadian River and exclusive of reservoirs in the drainage 
basin of Canadian River east of the 97th meridian, the right of Texas 
to retain water in conservation storage, exclusive of waters of North 
Canadian River, shall be limited to 500,000 acre feet; thereafter the 
right of Texas to impound and retain such waters in storage shall be 
limited to an aggregate quantity equal to 200,000 acre feet plus what-
ever amount of water shall be at the same time in conservation storage 
in reservoirs in the drainage basin of Canadian River in Oklahoma, 
exclusive of reservoirs in the drainage basin of North Canadian River 
and exclusive of reservoirs east of the 97th meridian; and for the pur-
pose of determining the amount of water in conservation storage, the 
maximum quantity of water in storage following each flood or series 
of floods shall be used; provided, that the right of Texas to retain and 
use any quantity of wafer jjreviously impounded shall not be reduced 
by any subsequent application of the provisions of this paragraph (b). 
"(c) Should Texas for any reason impound any amount of water 
greater than the aggregate quantity specified in paragraph (b) of this 
Article, such excess shall be retained in storage until under the pro-
visions of said paragraph Texas shall become entitled to its use; 
provided, that, in event of spill from conservation storage, any such 
excess shall be reduced by the amount of such spill from the most 
easterly reservoir on Canadian River in Texas; provided further, that 
all such excess quantities in storage shall be reduced monthly to com-
pensate for reservoir losses in proportion to the total amount of 
water in the reservoir or reservoirs in which such excess water is being 
held; and provided further that on demand by the Commissioner for 
Oklahoma the remainder of any such excess quantity of water in 
storage shall be released into the channel of Canadian River at the 
greatest rate practicable. 
" A R T I C L E 
VI 
"Oklahoma shall have free and unrestricted use of all waters of 
Canadian River in Oklahoma. 
" A R T I C L E 
VII 
"The Commission may permit New Mexico to impound more water 
than the amount set forth in Article IV and may permit Texas to 
impound more water than the amount set forth in Article V; provided, 
that no State shall thereby be deprived of water needed for beneficial 
use; provided further that each such permission shall be for a limited 
period not exceeding twelve months; and provided further that no 
State or user of water within any State shall thereby acquire any right 
to the continued use of any such quantity of water so permitted to be 
impounded. 
" A R T I C L E VIII 
"Each State shall furnish to the Commission at intervals designated 
by the Commission accurate records of the quantities of water stored 
in reservoirs pertinent to the administration of this Compact. 
-.•r.''-:.. :::: 
" A R T I C L E I X 
' . '?'r« / ::-^''• . • 
c<JL^^^<^. ^^^*' 
"(*^) There is hereby created an interstate administrative agency to 
be known as the 'Canadian River Commission.' The Commission shall 
be composed of three Commissioners, one from each of the signatory 
States, designated or appointed in accordance with the laws of each 
66 
S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 345-MAY 17, 1952 
77 
such State, and if designated by the President an additional Com-
missioner representing the United States. The President is hereby 
requested to designate such a Commissioner. 
If so designated, the 
Commissioner representing the United States shall be the presiding 
officer of the Commission, but shall not have the right to vote in any 
of the deliberations of the Commission. All members of the Commis-
sion must be present to constitute a quorum. A unanimous vote of the 
Commissioners for the three signatory States shall be necessary to all 
auctions taken by the Commission. 
"(b) The salaries and personal expenses of each Commissioner shall 
be paid by the government which he represents. All other expenses 
Avhich are incurred by the Commission incident to the administration 
of this Compact and which are not paid by the United States shall 
be borne equally by the three States and be paid by the Commission 
out of a revolving fund hereby created to be known as the 'Canadian 
River Revolving Fund.' Such fund shall be initiated and maintained 
by equal payments of each State into the fund in such amounts as will 
be necessary for administration of this Compact. 
Disbursements 
shall be made from said fund in such manner as may be authorized by 
the Commission. 
Said fund shall not be subject to the audit and 
accounting procedures of the States. However, all receipts and dis-
bursements of funds handled by the Commission shall be audited by a 
qualified independent public accountant at regular intervals and the 
report of the audit shall be included in and become a part of the annual 
report of the Commission. 
" (c) The Commission may: 
"(1) Employ such engineering, legal, clerical and other per-
sonnel as in its judgment may be necessary for the performance 
of its functions under this Compact; 
"(2) Enter into contracts with appropriate Federal agencies 
for the collection, correlation, and presentation of factual data, 
for the maintenance of records, and for the preparation of 
reports; 
"(3) Perform all functions required of it by this Compact and 
do all things necessary, proper, or convenient in the performance 
of its duties hereunder, independently or in cooperation M'ith 
appropriate governmental agencies. 
"(d) The Commission shall: 
"(1) Cause to be established, maintained and operated such 
stream and other gaging stations and evaporation stations as may 
from time to time be necessary for proper administration of the 
Compact, independently or in cooperation with appropriate gov-
ernmental agencies; 
"(2) Make and transmit to the Governors of the signatory 
States on or before the last day of March of each year, a report 
covering the activities of the Commission for the preceding year; 
"(3) Make available to the Governor of any signatory State, 
on his request, any information within its possession at any time, 
and shall always provide access to its records by the Governors of 
the States, or their representatives, or by authorized representa-
tives of the United States. 
U.S. 
ative. 
represent-
Contracts. 
Report. 
u 
ARTICLE X 
"Nothing in this Compact shall be construed as: 
"(a) affecting the obligations of the United States to the Indian 
Tribes; 
"(b) Subjecting any property of the United States, its agencies or 
instrumentalities, to taxation by any State or subdivision thereof, or 
n 
PUBLIC LAW 345-MAY 17, 1952 
[66 S T A T . 
N o t i c e 
proval. 
of ap-
Deposit of origi-
nals. 
Rights reserved. 
creating any obligation on the part of the United States, its agencies or 
instrumentalities, by reason of the acquisition, construction or opera-
tion of any property or works of whatever kind, to make any payment 
to any State or political subdivision thereof, state agency, municipality 
or entity whatsoever, in reimbursement for the loss of taxes; 
"(c) Subjecting any property of the United States, its agencies or 
instrumentalities, to the laws of any State to an extent other than the 
extent to which such laws would apply without regard to this Compact; 
"(d) Applying to, or interfering with, the right or power of any 
signatory State to regulate within its boundaries the appropriation, 
use and control of water, not inconsistent with its obligations under 
this Compact; 
"(e) Establishing any general principle or precedent applicable to 
other interstate streams. 
"ARTICLE XI 
"This Compact shall become binding and obligatory when it shall 
have been ratified by the Legislature of each State and approved by 
the Congress of the United States. 
Notice of ratification by the Legis-
lature of each State shall be given by the Governor of that State to the 
Governors of the other States and to the President of the United States. 
The President is hereby requested to give notice to the Governor of each 
State of approval by the Congress of the United States. 
"IN WITNESS WHEKEOF, the Commissioners have executed 
four counterparts hereof, each of which shall be and constitute an 
original, one of which shall be deposited in the archives of the De-
partment of State of the United States, and one of which shall be 
forwarded to the Governor of each State. 
"DONE at the City of Santa Fe, State of New Mexico, this 6th day 
"[s] 
of December, 1950. 
John H, Bliss 
J O H N H . BLISS 
Commissioner for the State of New Mexico 
"[s] 
E.V.Spence 
E. V. SFENCE 
Commissioner for the State of Texas 
"[s] 
Clarence Burch 
CLARENCE BURCH 
Commissioner for the State of Oklahoma 
"APPROVED: 
"[s] 
Berkeley Johnson 
BERKELEY JOHNSON 
Representative of the United States of America" 
SEC. 2, The right to alter, amend, or repeal section 1 of this Act is 
expressly reserved. 
This reservation shall not be construed to prevent 
the vesting of rights to the use of water pursuant to applicable law 
and no alteration, amendment, or repeal of section 1 of this Act shall 
be held to affect rights so vested. 
Approved May 17, 1952.