Powers of Local Government Authorities in the Sphere of the Use and Protection of Waterbodies

The role of local governments in the water resources management is not as significant as that of federal and regional authorities, which is explained by federal ownership of all waterbodies, with the exception to ponds and watered quarries. At the same time, it is at the municipal level that important issues of social importance are being addressed. Local governments participate in water relations through exercising the authority of the owner of municipal ponds and watered quarries, carry out normative rule-making activities in the sphere of management of the use and protection of waterbodies, address issues of local importance organizing the use and protection of water bodies, participate in public water resources management. The most important rule-making power of local governments in the municipal district and the city district is to make rules for the use of public waterbodies for personal and household needs. A number of municipal regulations have been analyzed from the point of view of whether it provides for the shared water use, permissions and bans. A proposal has been made to change revised Para 4 Art. 6 of the Water Code of the Russian Federation. Such an important power as to ensure the free access of citizens to public waterbodies and the coastline is exercised by local governments when plots of land within the coastline are offered for lease, municipal land control is being carried out, and public easements are established. The participation of local governments in public management of the use and protection of water facilities is affected through participation in the work of basin councils, implementation of schemes for the integrated management and protection of water facilities, defining the boundaries of flood zones and submergences. The article deals with the issues of local authorities' participation in implementation of international obligations arising from agreements and treaties concerning protection of transboundary water facilities, as well as the problem of violations of water laws committed by local governments. In order to overcome the existing exclusion of local governments from participation in the solution of major water problems, a proposal is made to define specific forms for their interaction with federal and regional authorities, the possibility of vesting them with separate state powers is being considered.

use of waterbodies, protection of waterbodies, public waterbodies, coastline, ponds, watered quarries, access to waterbodies, municipal property, local issues, powers of organs of local self-government

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