(1) Nothing in this part shall be construed as interfering with existing contracts or works of improvements currently under way by state and local governments or with works of improvements that are undertaken independently of the authority and the state.
(2) The authority shall be the state agency that is responsible for carrying out the state's obligations under any easements given by landowners to the Obion-Forked Deer basin authority as required by the West Tennessee tributaries project of the United States army corps of engineers.