Oklahoma § 82-1085.1 - Creation - Status - Membership and tenure - Meetings Removal - Vacancies - Oath - Officers

§ 82-1085.1. Creation - Status - Membership and tenure - Meetings Removal - Vacancies - Oath - Officers

A. There is hereby created the Oklahoma Water Resources Board,

hereinafter referred to as the Board, consisting of nine (9) members

to be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent

of the Senate. The Board shall constitute a body corporate and

politic and an instrumentality, agency and department of the State

of Oklahoma, and exercise by the Board of the powers conferred by

this act shall be deemed and shall be held to be an essential

governmental function of the State of Oklahoma.

B. Beginning July 1, 2014, the membership of the Board shall

transition from congressional district and at-large representation

to regional representation as follows:

1. The Congressional District 1 position expiring in 2014 shall

thereafter be represented by a person residing in Region 7 of the

state which shall consist of Tulsa County;

2. The at-large member position expiring in 2014 shall

thereafter be represented by a person residing in Region 4 of the

state which shall consist of Carter, Cleveland, Garvin, Grady,

Jefferson, Johnston, Love, Marshall, McClain, Murray, Pontotoc,

Pottawatamie, Seminole and Stephens Counties;

3. The Congressional District 2 position expiring in 2015 shall

thereafter be represented by a person residing in Region 8 of the

state which shall consist of Adair, Cherokee, Craig, Delaware,

Mayes, McIntosh, Muskogee, Nowata, Okmulgee, Ottawa, Rogers,

Sequoyah and Wagoner Counties;

4. The at-large position expiring in 2016 shall thereafter be

represented by a person residing in Region 9 of the state which

shall consist of Atoka, Bryan, Coal, Choctaw, Haskell, Hughes,

Latimer, LeFlore, McCurtain, Pittsburg and Pushmataha Counties;

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 82. Waters and Water Rights

5. The Congressional District 4 position expiring in 2017 shall

thereafter be represented by a person residing in Region 2 of the

state which shall consist of Alfalfa, Blaine, Canadian, Custer,

Dewey, Ellis, Garfield, Grant, Harper, Kingfisher, Major, Roger

Mills, Woods and Woodward Counties;

6. The Congressional District 5 position expiring in 2018 shall

thereafter be represented by a person residing in Region 5 of the

state which shall consist of Oklahoma County;

7. The at-large position expiring in 2018 shall represent

Region 3 of the state which shall consist of Beckham, Caddo,

Comanche, Cotton, Greer, Harmon, Jackson, Kiowa, Tillman and Washita

Counties;

8. The Congressional District 3 position expiring in 2019 shall

thereafter be represented by a person residing in Region 1 of the

state which shall consist of Beaver, Cimarron and Texas Counties;

and

9. The at-large member position expiring in 2020 shall

thereafter be represented by a person residing Region 6 of the state

which shall consist of Creek, Kay, Lincoln, Logan, Noble, Okfuskee,

Osage, Pawnee, Payne and Washington Counties.

C. All members appointed after the effective date of this act

shall be appointed for terms of seven (7) years.

D. If a member serving on the Board as of the effective date of

this act resigns or is unable to complete the term of the member,

the seat shall immediately transition to the applicable regional

representation as provided for in subsection B of this section.

E. Each member shall be a qualified elector of this state. At

all times the membership of the Board shall have represented on it

at least one member well versed in each of the following major types

of water use: recreational, industrial, irrigational, municipal,

rural residential, agricultural, soil conservation work and oil and

gas production. Not more than two members may be selected

representing any one of the major types of water use. The Board

shall meet at least nine times per calendar year at the discretion

of the chair with not more than two consecutive calendar months

between meetings. The members of the Board may be removed only for

cause. Whenever a vacancy shall occur, the Governor shall appoint a

qualified person to fill the unexpired term of the vacant office.

Upon entering, each member of the Board shall take and subscribe to

the constitutional and statutory oath of office and file the same

with the Secretary of State.

F. The Board shall organize annually by electing a chair, vicechair, and secretary from the membership of the Board, who shall

perform such duties as shall be prescribed by the Board.

Added by Laws 1972, c. 253, § 1. Amended by Laws 1982, c. 306, § 1,

emerg. eff. May 28, 1982; Laws 1992, c. 364, § 12, emerg. eff. June

4, 1992; Laws 2002, c. 375, § 24, eff. Nov. 5, 2002; Laws 2013, c.

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 82. Waters and Water Rights

406, § 1, eff. July 1, 2014; Laws 2016, c. 78, § 1, emerg. eff.

April 18, 2016.