The Water Resources Commission, chaired by the commissioner of natural resources, was established by St 1956, c 620 to supervise and control the Division of Water Resources in the Department of Natural Resources; and to coordinate the activities of federal, state, and other agencies in conservation, development, utilization, and disposal of water for preventing loss of life and damage to property by erosion, floodwater, and sediment in the watersheds of the Commonwealth. Per St 1966, c 685 it was also put in an advisory relationship to the Division of Water Pollution Control in the Department of Natural Resources (transferred to the Department of Environmental Quality Engineering per St 1974, c 806).
St 1975, c 706, which along with St 1974, c 806 replaced the Department of Natural Resources with the Department of Environmental Management in a new Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, put the Water Resources Commission, which still supervises the department's Division of Water Resources, under the Department of Environmental Quality Engineering (s 60). The division was put directly under the control of the Department of Environmental Management by St 1983, c 589, s 1, while by s 18 the commission was put directly under the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, whose secretary chairs it, and was made responsible for development of water resources management policy and coordination of water resources planning and management functions within the executive office; it was also to promulgate rules and regulations relating to river basins of the Comnmonwealth, per St 1983, c 658.
From the description of Agency history record. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 145429407
