In the late 1960s, a broad group of concerned citizens saw the need for a federal-interstate coordinating agency to lead the conservation, development, and administration of the Susquehanna River Basin’s resources that would preserve and enhance its value as a scenic and recreational asset for the people who live in the Basin. The need to coordinate these efforts, along with those of three states and the agencies of the federal government, led to the drafting of the Susquehanna River Basin Compact, which was signed on December 24, 1970. The Compact, as adopted by the Congress of the United States and the legislatures of New York State, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, provides the mechanism to guide the water resource management of the Basin. The Compact, which went into effect on January 23, 1971, also established the Susquehanna River Basin Commission as the agency to coordinate these water resource efforts. Each member state/jurisdiction is represented by a commissioner who serves as the spokesperson for the government that he or she represents. In the case of the federal government, the commissioner has been identified in legislation as the Division Engineer, North Atlantic Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. For the three states, the commissioners are the governors or their designees. The commissioners also appoint alternate commissioners.
