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Executive Order 11578 Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order 11578—Establishment of the Ohio River Basin Commission

Richard Nixon Richard Nixon
•
Wednesday, January 13, 1971
•
2 min read (453 words)

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

This executive order, signed by President Richard Nixon on 1971-01-13, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Establishment of the Ohio River Basin Commission." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.

Constitutional Assessment: Scrutinized through Article II, Section 2, this action exercises the President's constitutional role as Commander in Chief. Early Framers recognized broad executive discretion in commanding military forces during conflict, provided it remains bounded by congressional declarations and respects civilian domestic courts.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ 1962b), and as President of the United States, it is ordered as follows: SECTION 1.
▪ It is hereby declared that the Ohio River Basin Commission is established under the provisions of Title II of the Water Resources Planning Act (42 U.S.C.
▪ It is hereby determined that the jurisdiction of the Ohio River Basin Commission referred to in section 1 of this order shall extend to those portions of the States of Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia that are located within the Ohio River drainage basin, excluding the Tennessee River drainage basin.
▪ It is hereby determined that, in accordance with section 202 of the Act (42 U.S.C.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Armed Forces & Military Establishments 🏛️ Merchants, Importers & Commercial Enterprises 🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants 🏛️ Public Health & Medical Institutions
Total Words
453
2,877 characters
Estimated Read Time
2 min
@ 200 words / min
Flesch-Kincaid
15
Post-Grad reading level
Constitutional Polarity
+0.02
Framers' Alignment index
📜

Scholarly & Legal Citations 

Exec. Order No. 11578, Richard Nixon (Jan 13, 1971). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-11578-establishment-the-ohio-river-basin-commission.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →
WHEREAS the Water Resources Planning Act (79 Stat. 244, 42 U.S.C. 1962 et seq.) provides for the establishment of river basin water and related land resources commissions; and WHEREAS the Governors of the States of the Ohio River drainage basin, excluding the Tennessee River drainage basin, and the Water Resources Council have requested, or concurred in, the establishment of such a commission: Now, THEREFORE, by virtue of the authority vested in me by section 201 of the Water Resources Planning Act (42 U.S.C. 1962b), and as President of the United States, it is ordered as follows: SECTION 1. Ohio River Basin Commission. It is hereby declared that the Ohio River Basin Commission is established under the provisions of Title II of the Water Resources Planning Act (42 U.S.C. 1962b et seq.). SEC. 2. Jurisdiction of the Commission. It is hereby determined that the jurisdiction of the Ohio River Basin Commission referred to in section 1 of this order shall extend to those portions of the States of Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia that are located within the Ohio River drainage basin, excluding the Tennessee River drainage basin. SEC. 3. Membership of the Commission. It is hereby determined that, in accordance with section 202 of the Act (42 U.S.C. 1962b-1), the Commission shall consist of the following members: (1) a Chairman to be appointed by the President, (2) one member from each of the following Federal departments and agencies: Department of Agriculture, Department of the Army, Department of Commerce, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of the Interior, Department of Transportation, Federal Power Commission, Atomic Energy Commission, and the Environmental Protection Agency, such member to be appointed by the head of the department or independent agency he represents, (3) one member from each of the following States: Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and West Virginia, and a member from Virginia when authorized by the legislature of that State, and (4) one member from each interstate agency created by an interstate compact to which the consent of Congress has been given and whose jurisdiction extends to the waters of the area specified in section 2. SEC. 4. Functions, Powers, and Duties. The Commission and its officers, members, and employees shall perform and exercise, with respect to the area specified in section 2 of this order, their respective functions, powers, and duties as set out in Title II of the Water Resources Planning Act. SEC. 5. Reporting to the President. The Chairman of the Commission shall report to the President through the Water Resources Council. RICHARD NIXON The White House January 13, 1971