Ill STAT. 2220 PUBLIC LAW 105-104—NOV. 20, 1997 " ARTICLE III "PA RTI ES "The parties to this Compact are the states of Alabama, Florida and Georgia and the United States of America. "ARTICLE IV "DEFINITIONS "For the purposes of this Compact, the following words, phrases and terms shall have the following meanings: "(a) ACF Basin' or ACF' means the area of natural drainage into the Apalachicola River and its tributaries, the Chattahoochee River and its tributaries, and the Flint River and its tributaries. Any reference to the rivers within this Compact will be designated using the letters ACF' and when so referenced will mean each of these three rivers and each of the tributaries to each such river. "(b) 'Allocation formula' means the methodology, in whatever form, by which the ACF Basin Commission determines an equitable apportionment of surface waters within the ACF Basin among the three states. Such formula may be represented by a table, chart, mathematical calculation or any other expression of the Commission's apportionment of waters pursuant to this compact. "(c) 'Commission' or 'ACF Basin Commission' means the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin Commission created and established pursuant to this Compact. "(d) 'Ground waters' means waters within a saturated zone or stratum beneath the surface of land, whether or not flowing through known and definite channels. "(e) 'Person' means any individual, firm, association, organization, partnership, business, trust, corporation, public corporation, company, the United States of America, any state, and all political subdivisions, regions, districts, municipalities, and public agencies thereof. "(f) 'Surface waters' means waters upon the surface of the earth, whether contained in bounds created naturally or artificially or diffused. Water from natural springs shall be considered 'surface waters' when it exits from the spring onto the surface of the earth. "(g) ' United States' means the executive branch of the government of the United States of America, and any department, agency, bureau or division thereof. "(h) 'Water Resource Facility' means any facility or project constructed for the impoundment, diversion, retention, control or regulation of waters within the ACF Basin for any purpose. "(i) *Water resources,' or 'waters' mesuis all surface waters and ground waters contained or otherwise originating within the ACF Basin. "ARTICLE V "CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO LEGAL VIABILITY OF THE COMPACT "This Compact shall not be binding on any party until it has been enacted into law by the legislatures of the states of Alabama,
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