[4] The legislation made provision for a "first appointed day", on which the river authorities would come into existence, and this was set on 15 October 1964, as a result of the River Authorities (First Appointed Day) Order 1964.

Part 1 outlined the functions of Ministers in relation to water resources.

Part 2 dealt with the setting up of River Authorities and the Water Resources Board.

This was a national organisation, which was independent of central government, and was responsible for the collection of data, research, and planning.

Although it had no statutory powers over the River Authorities, it influenced their actions through negotiation, and was very successful in this.

In the consultation leading up to the Water Act 1973, it was argued that the Water Resources Board should be empowered to undertake major projects in its own right, but when the Act was passed, the Board was disbanded and its functions were dispersed among other agencies.