It is hereby declared to be the policy of the State that the water resources of the State shall be protected, regulated and, where necessary, controlled under authority of the State in the public interest and to promote the general welfare. (Amended 1959, No. 329 (Adj. Sess.), § 42, eff. March 1, 1961; 1961, No. 100, § 1; 1965, No. 116; 1975, No. 254 (Adj. Sess.), § 142; 1981, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 11.)