(1) Subject to policy direction by the Water Resources Commission, the Water Resources Director shall:

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(a) Be administrative head of the Water Resources Department;

(b) Have power, within applicable budgetary limitations, and in accordance with ORS Chapter 240, to hire, assign, reassign and coordinate personnel of the department;

(c) Administer and enforce the laws of the state concerning the water resources of this state;

(d) Be authorized to participate in any proceeding before any public officer, commission or body of the United States or any state for the purpose of representing the citizens of Oregon concerning the water resources of this state;

(e) Have power to enter upon any private property in the performance of the duties of the director, doing no unnecessary injury to the private property; and

(f) Coordinate any activities of the department related to a watershed enhancement project approved by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board under ORS § 541.932 with activities of other cooperating state and federal agencies participating in the project.

(2) In addition to duties otherwise required by law, the director shall prescribe internal policies and procedures for the government of the department, the conduct of its employees, the assignment and performance of its business and the custody, use and preservation of its records, papers and property in a manner consistent with applicable law.

(3) The director may delegate to any employee of the department the exercise or discharge in the director’s name of any power, duty or function of whatever character, vested in or imposed by law upon the director. The official act of a person so acting in the director’s name and by the director’s authority shall be considered to be an official act of the director. [1985 c.673 § 8; 1987 c.734 § 14]