§ 1151. Preamble
Whereas, the federal government exercises jurisdiction over the nation’s navigable
rivers and their tributaries through passage of the Flood Control Act of nineteen
hundred and thirty-six and various other acts amendatory thereto; and
Whereas, these acts provide for construction by the United States of dams for flood
control and, where feasible, in addition to flood control for storage of water to
be used for irrigation, recreation or hydroelectric power or for any of these purposes;
and
Whereas, the Connecticut is an interstate river and control of major floods on it
can be obtained only by the construction of dams by the United States under authorization
of the above mentioned acts; and
Whereas, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the States of Connecticut, New Hampshire
and Vermont recognize that it is in the interest of their general welfare that the
United States construct in the Connecticut River Valley a comprehensive system of
local protection works and dams and reservoirs to control floods and prevent loss
of life and property, the disruption of orderly processes and the impairment of commerce
between the aforesaid states; and
Whereas, the United States has constructed dikes, flood walls and other local protection
works at Hartford and East Hartford in the State of Connecticut and at Springfield,
Riverdale, West Springfield, Chicopee, Northampton, Holyoke, and Springdale, in the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts and dams and reservoirs for the storage of flood waters
at Knightville, Birch Hill and Tully in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, at Surry
Mountain in the State of New Hampshire and at Union Village in the State of Vermont
and has reached agreements with the state wherein located for construction of dams
and reservoirs for the storage of flood waters at Barre Falls in the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts and at Ball Mountain and at Townshend in the State of Vermont; and
Whereas, the Congress has at various times authorized construction by the United States
of other dams and reservoirs for the storage of flood waters in the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts and in the States of New Hampshire and Vermont and has more recently
instructed the corps of engineers to determine what additional local protection works
and dams and reservoirs are required for a comprehensive system to control floods
in the Connecticut River and its tributaries; and
Whereas, it is believed that such a comprehensive flood control system should include
dams and reservoirs controlling flood run-off from approximately twenty-five (25)
percent of the total drainage area of the Connecticut River above Hartford, Connecticut,
and strategically located in reference to characteristics of tributaries and to damage
centers; and
Whereas, construction by the United States of additional dams and reservoirs in the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts and in the States of New Hampshire and Vermont, to complete
such a comprehensive flood control system, will remove from the tax rolls of local
governments of those states such property as is acquired by the United States and
may work other hardships against the people of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont;
and
Whereas, it is highly desirable that any flood control dam and reservoir constructed
by the United States in the Connecticut River Valley have the approval of the state
wherein it is located and that states benefiting from construction of such dam and
reservoir make reimbursement for such loss of taxes and for such hardships; and
Whereas, a comprehensive system for the prevention of destructive floods and for water
resources utilization in the Connecticut River Valley can best be accomplished by
cooperation between the several states in the valley and by and through a common and
joint agency of said several states;
Now, therefore, the said Commonwealth of Massachusetts and States of Connecticut,
New Hampshire and Vermont do hereby enter into the following compact, to-wit: