WSP08505

• File Number: 8103.400
• Description: Arkansas River Compact Administration - Article VIII Investigations
• Basin: Arkansas
• Date: 4/6/1949
• Author: Hans Kramer
• Title: Report to Congress of the United States on Proposed Arkansas River Compact
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

That a~ required thorough consideratio~ of past uses and the

formu~ation of a mutually satisfactory and beneficial basis for future

di vision.

The apportionment which the States have agreed upon in

Article V of the proposed compact is virtually a self~imposed

rationing system. As such, and since no appropriated water rights

are vested in the United) States in this particular case, conclusions

as to its equity and propriety must rest with the States themselves.

The terms of the interstate apportionment, which establish a

division of water between Colorado and Kansas generally on a 60%-40%

basis, are boldly progressive in at least one significant respect:

bookkeeping as to water deliveries to the States, i. e., carrying

forward of credits, and debits due to varia'ci,ons from the 60,-40 ratio,

is deliberately precluded in the administration of the proposed

compact, This simplification puts administration on a day-to-day

basis unhampered by the potential problems and 1.rangles that would

arise frow periodic adjustment or balancing of water accounts, The

philosophy underlying this simplified yet sensible concept of

apportionment and administration is that calls for water from John

Martin Reservoir are to be governed by common sense requirements and

some administrative discretion rather than rigid, adherence to the

60-40 apportionment, thus heeding the Supreme Court's admonition as

to "expert administration rather than . . . imposition of a hard and

fast rule,"

The practicability of administering the apportionment
agreement is a major point of concern to the United States because the

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