1084                                       LAWS OF MARYLAND                            [Ch. 4

12. "PERSON" SHALL MEAN AN INDIVIDUAL,
CORPORATION, PARTNERSHIP, UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATION,
AND THE LIKE AND SHALL HAVE NO GENDER, AND THE
SINGULAR SHALL INCLUDE THE PLURAL.

1.3. PURPOSE AND FINDINGS. —THE LEGISLATIVE
BODIES OF THE RESPECTIVE SIGNATORY PARTIES HEREBY FIND
AND DECLARE:

1.   THE WATER RESOURCES OF THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER
BASIN ARE AFFECTED WITH A LOCAL, STATE, REGIONAL, AND
NATIONAL INTEREST, AND THE PLANNING, CONSERVATION,
UTILIZATION, DEVELOPMENT, MANAGEMENT, AND CONTROL OF
THESE RESOURCES, UNDER APPROPRIATE ARRANGEMENTS FOR
INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION, ARE PUBLIC PURPOSES OF
THE RESPECTIVE SIGNATORY PARTIES.

2.   THE WATER RESOURCES OF THE BASIN ARE SUBJECT
TO THE SOVEREIGN RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE
SIGNATORY PARTIES, AND IT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS
COMPACT TO PROVIDE FOR A JOINT EXERCISE OF THESE
POWERS OF SOVEREIGNTY IN THE COMMON INTEREST OF THE
PEOPLE OF THE REGION.

3.     THE WATER RESOURCES OF THE BASIN ARE
FUNCTIONALLY INTERRELATED, AND THE USES OF THESE
RESOURCES ARE INTERDEPENDENT. A SINGLE
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY IS THEREFORE ESSENTIAL FOR
EFFECTIVE AND ECONOMICAL DIRECTION, SUPERVISION, AND
COORDINATION OF WATER RESOURCES EFFORTS AND PROGRAMS
OF FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND OF
PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.

4. PRESENT AND FUTURE DEMANDS REQUIRE
INCREASING ECONOMIES AND EFFICIENCIES IN THE USE AND
REUSE OF WATER RESOURCES, AND THESE CAN BE BROUGHT
ABOUT ONLY BY COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING, PROGRAMMING, AND
MANAGEMENT UNDER THE DIRECTION OF A SINGLE
ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY.

5. IN GENERAL, THE PURPOSES OF THIS COMPACT ARE
TO PROMOTE INTERSTATE COMITY; TO REMOVE CAUSES OF
POSSIBLE CONTROVERSY; TO MAKE SECURE AND PROTECT
DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN THE STATES; TO ENCOURAGE AND
PROVIDE FOR THE PLANNING, CONSERVATION, UTILIZATION,
DEVELOPMENT, MANAGEMENT, AND CONTROL OF THE WATER
RESOURCES OF THE BASIN; TO PROVIDE FOR COOPERATIVE AND
COORDINATED PLANNING AND ACTION BY THE SIGNATORY
PARTIES WITH RESPECT TO WATER RESOURCES; AND TO APPLY
THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUAL AND UNIFORM TREATMENT TO ALL
USERS OF WATER AND OF WATER RELATED FACILITIES WITHOUT