41'6/Maryland Manual

6110 Executive Blvd., Suite 300
Rockville 20852 Telephone: 984-1908

The Interstate Commission on the Potomac
River Basin is an agency of those states encompas-
sing portions of the Potomac River drainage basin.
Established by an Act of Congress in 1940, amend-
ed by P.L. 91^07 in 1970, the Commission
operates under the Potomac River Sanitation Com-
pact, which Maryland ratified by Chapter 320,
Acts of 1939, as amended by Chapter 29, Acts of
1960.

The Commission has jurisdiction over the Poto-
mac Valley Conservancy District, which was creat-
ed by the enabling Act. The Commission analyzes
and interprets data, conducts studies, coordinates
planning and programs, disseminates information-
al and educational material to the public, promotes
uniform laws and regulations, and recommends
solutions to problems relating to stream pollution
and the use and conservation of water and associat-
ed land resources in the District. The Commis-
sion's Cooperative Water Supply Operations
Section (CO-OP) provides technical and manageri-
al services for coordinated drought-related opera-
tions of the major Maryland, Virginia, and District
of Columbia public water supply utilities in the
Washington Metropolitan Area under the Water
Supply Coordination Agreement of July 22, 1982.

The Commission is composed of representatives
of the five signatory members: Maryland, Pennsyl-
vania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of
Columbia. While the United States government is a
member of the Commission, it is not a signatory
member. The representatives from Maryland in-
clude the Governor and two residents of the
Potomac Valley Conservancy District, who are
appointed by the Governor for two-year terms
(Code 1957, Art. 43, secs. 407, 408).

The Commission is financed by appropriations
from each of the participating bodies (Code Natu-
ral Resources Article, sec. 8-301).

Monthly, the Commission issues a newsletter,
The Potomac Basin Reporter. Other technical and
general information reports are also available to
the public.

POTOMAC RIVER FISHERIES
COMMISSION

Maryland Representatives:

John T. Parran, Jr., 1985; Francis J. Russell, 1985;
Lee E. Zeni, 1987.

Kirby A. Carpenter, Executive Secretary

P. 0. Box 9
Colonial Beach, Va. 22443
Telephone: (804) 224-7148

The Potomac River Fisheries Commission oper-
ates under the Maryland-Virginia Compact of
1958, which was authorized by an Act of Congress.
Maryland ratified the Compact by Chapter 269,
Acts of 1959. The Commission is a semiautono-
mous agency, but its work and policies are closely
coordinated with the Tidewater Administration of
Maryland and the Marine Resources Commission
of Virginia. The interstate Commission is responsi-
ble for the establishment and maintenance of a
program of conservation and improvement of the
seafood resources of the Potomac River and the
regulation and licensing of fisheries in the Potomac
River.

The Commission consists of six members, three
from each state, appointed by the respective gover-
nors, The position of chairperson of the Commis-
sion alternates annually between Maryland and
Virginia.

The fisheries departments of both states provide
law enforcement on the Potomac River for the
Commission (Code Natural Resources Article, sec.
4-306).

In 1964 and 1965, both the Maryland and
Virginia legislatures concurred in approving legis-
lation and giving the Commission the authority to
regulate and license the dredging of soft shell
clams.

Each state annually appropriates $150,000 to the
work of the Commission. In addition, the Commis-
sion receives proceeds from the sale of commercial
crab, oyster, fish, and clam licenses and twenty-five
cents per bushel oyster inspection tax (Code Natu-
ral Resources Article, sec. 4-306).

SOUTHERN REGIONAL EDUCATION
BOARD

Maryland Representatives:

Harry Hughes, Governor, 1987; Sheldon H. Knorr,
1985; Arthur Dorman, 1986; Rhoda M. Dorsey,
1987; John S. Toll, 1988.

Dr. Winfred L. Godwin, President

1340 Spring St., N.W.
Atlanta, Ga. 30309 Telephone: (404) 875-9211