V-177 

 Chapter 4 

 ROLE OF COMPACT AGENCIES IN ESTUARINE MANAGEMENT 



This chapter describes and evaluates the present role of inter- 

 state and Federal -interstate compact agencies in estuarine 

 management. It also develops recommendations concerning the 

 role of such organizations in the comprehensive national estua- 

 rine management program. 



SECTION 1 . USE OF COMPACT AGENCIES TO DATE 



Use of the compact instrument in managing the Nation's estuarine 

 resources has been limited to management of water resources and 

 management of fisheries. Included in the first category are the 

 three pollution control compacts establishing, respectively, 

 (1) the Interstate Sanitation Commission, (2) the Interstate 

 Commission on the Potomac River Basin, and (3) the New England 

 Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission. Also in this 

 category is the multipurpose Delaware River Basin Commission. 



Fisheries compacts include the regulatory Potomac River Fisher- 

 ies Commission and the three advisory and research-oriented fish- 

 eries commissions for, respectively, the Atlantic, Gulf, and 

 Pacific fisheries. 



Selected details on the purposes, powers, and roles of these 

 compact agencies in estuarine management are presented in 

 Tables V.4.1 and V.4.2. 



