824                               LAWS OF MARYLAND                        [CH. 391

agents, and employees only to the extent and subject to the proce-
dures prescribed by law generally with respect to officers, agents,
and employees of the government of the United States.

15.19—Effect on Riparian Rights. Nothing contained in this com-
pact shall be construed as affecting or intending to affect or in any
way to interfere with the law of the respective signatory parties
relating to riparian rights.

15.20—Amendments and Supplements. Amendments and supple-
ments to this compact to implement the purposes thereof may be
adopted by legislative action of any of the signatory parties con-
curred in by all of the others.

15.21—Construction and Severability. The provisions of this com-
pact and of agreements thereunder shall be severable and if any
phrase, clause, sentence, or provision of the Susquehanna River
Basin Compact or such agreement is declared to be unconstitutional
or the applicability thereof to any signatory party, agency, or per-
son is held invalid, the constitutionality of the remainder of such
compact or such agreement and the applicability thereof to any
other signatory party, agency, person, or circumstance shall not be
affected thereby. It is the legislative intent that the provisions of
such compact be reasonably and liberally construed.

15.22—Effective Date; Execution. This compact shall become bind-
ing and effective thirty days after the enactment of concurring legisla-
tion by the Federal government, the states of Maryland and New York,
and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The compact shall be signed
and sealed in five identical original copies by the respective chief
executives of the signatory parties. One such copy shall be filed
with the Secretary of State of each of the signatory parties or in
accordance with the laws of the state in which the filing is made,
and one copy shall be filed and retained in the archives of the com-
mission upon its organization.

SEC. 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, THAT NOTHING
IN THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN COMPACT SHALL
BE CONSTRUED TO IMPAIR OR TO DEROGATE FROM ANY
POWER EXERCISABLE BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUN-
CIL OF BALTIMORE OR IN ANY WAY TO DIMINISH ANY
RIGHT WHICH THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BALTI-
MORE MAY HAVE TO THE WATERS OF THE SUSQUEHANNA
RIVER BASIN. IT IS HEREBY RECOGNIZED THAT ARTICLE
1.3-6 OF THE COMPACT (SECTION 60) PROVIDING THAT
"THE COMMISSION SHALL ENGAGE IN THE CONSTRUCTION,
OPERATION, AND MAINTENANCE OF A PROJECT ONLY
WHEN THE PROJECT IS NECESSARY TO THE EXECUTION
OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND NO OTHER COMPE-
TENT AGENCY IS IN A POSITION TO ACT, OR SUCH AGENCY
FAILS TO ACT"; AND THAT ARTICLE 3.2 OF THE COM-
PACT (SECTION 62) WHICH PROVIDES THAT "IT IS THE
POLICY OF THE SIGNATORY PARTIES TO PRESERVE AND
UTILIZE THE FUNCTIONS, POWERS, AND DUTIES OF THE
EXISTING OFFICES AND AGENCIES OF GOVERNMENT TO
THE EXTENT CONSISTENT WITH THIS COMPACT, AND
THE COMMISSION IS DIRECTED TO UTILIZE THOSE OF-
FICES AND AGENCIES FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS COM-