WSP10734

• File Number: 8200.900
• Description: California Colorado River Issues
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 1/30/1989
• Author: Warren J. Abbott
• Title: California Colorado River Issues - Overview of Colorado River Issues at 1989
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Pacific LDw/oumoll Vol. 19

1988 / Ca{i/~rn;a Colorado Rivu ISSJles

of the Colorado River Compact, there were estimates of 2,000,000
acre.Ceel of surplus even afler both Basins were: developed." These
estimates, however, have proven inaccurate. There will be no surplus
in the future.
Congress recognized the problem of fulfillin& the U.S. obligations
to supply water under the Muican treaty with surplus waler. As a
result Congress provided in the Colorado River Basin Project Act of
1968 thai "the satisfaClion of the requirements of the Mexican Water
Treaty from Ihe Colorado River constilutes a nalional obligation
which shall be a first obligation of any water augmentation project
planned pursuant to . . . (the Act). . . ..... or course, to date there
have been no major errective river ausmentation projects put in
place, and in light of current Federal budget deficiu, none are likely
in the foreseeable fUlure. Thus, the problem discussed briefly in Part
VI sharing the obligation between the Uppet and Lower Basinslooms
berore us.
With thai look at the law of the River. it is lime to eumine some
of the recent problems in Colorado River water supply 8.5 they relate
to California.

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of the water was to be (I) 50,000 3tre-feet from the Whitt River in
Colorado, a tribulary of the Green River and then the Colorado,
the righU to which the Galloway group claimed to own, and (2)
300,000 or more acre-fet't to be stored behind a d<lm on Ihe Y<lmpa
River. to be released for the production of electrical power and
ultimate delivery to San Diego." The key to the whole project was
that the water delivered would be charged to Colorado's share or
the Colorado River supply.
Examining this proposal in light of the Law of the River will
demonstrale why it and others can only succeed with massive changes
to existing law and institutions.

1410

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A. Upper Basin Problems"

Ill. INTERSTA.tE ""ID INTE1\8ASIM SA.U3 AND TUNSFE1t.S . THE
GALLOWAY PROPOSAL MODEL

Counsel for the Galloway sroup explained to the author his theory
that the storing of water behind a dam and its use for the generation
of electrical power was a beneficial use. and therefore. the water
could be charged to Colorado. This theory, however, overlooks the
fact that both the Colorado River Compact and the Upper Colorado
River Basin Compact apportion and chaTse water for bendkial
consumpt;~t: use.1? Additionally, the Upper Basin Compact rules
measure apportionments on the ba.sis of man-made "depletions. "II
Indeed, the definition in that Compact of "domestic use" lists many
uses which consume water, but IpecificaUy exclude.s the generation

In the course of this author's emp'oyment by The Metropolitan
Waler Dislrict of Southern Calirornia, he received calls from persons
who claimed to own, or represented such people, rights to water in
the Colorado RiYeT System in (he Upper Basin and who inquired
whether lhe District would be interested in buyinl that water. After
explaining the many problems slemming from the Law of the River.
the callers were requested to pul . proposal in writing, Few. if any
ever did.

One proposal for such a water transfer or .sale, however, received
much publicity. and indeed, critical comment in 1984 and fOllowing.
That was Ihe "Galloway" proposal to deliver to lhe San Diego
County Waler Authority at lake Havasu. the forebay for Metro-
politan's Colorado River Aqueduct, between 300,000 and 500,000,
acre-feet of Colorado River water e3ch year for 40 years. The source

lU. ne aUlhor hll heald ar no cYidence Ihll Ihe 01110-1,. JI'Oul' In fact oW't\! In,. Il,hll
10 Ih~ u,~ or Vlmpl Ri"~r .lln. Th~ s.n Die,o Counl, Wiler AUlhoril" iI In umbrelll
ol,aniurion impon;nl "'Iler 10 lhe dr>'elopcd PGnion of San Dielo Counl,.. Calirornil. The
AUlhoril)' i! I membrl' l,mC'J' of MelTopolilln Ind purc:hnn up 10 90"- or Ihe "'lln u~d
",ilhin lhe Alllhol;I, IoCI"iee Irea. r,om Melropolilln. Sin O,e,o hili no .ller nlnlportlllon
facililin hom Ihe Colorldo Riwer 10 Sin Dle,o Ind .ould nttd I wheclinl Inanlemenl .lIh
M~lropolilln Ind itl o...n po'"" source 10 l<<ompl;lh Ih~ propolal. .
116. Apin, i1.! nollhe PUllK'se or lhislllicle 10 dCM inlo Ih~ ..In II. of In)' pl.nll:ular
S..le olher Ih.n Californi.. S<< Gc1chn. LI,II' lsswa SUrTOII"d.n, T_ Gtlflo_:I Group
P,OI'OJII' To Mllltrt Colo,tldo Wtlfrr To So" O,t,o. 1-10 'American aar Anocialion WOfks~op
On WaUl Ri,hll UW. S.n Oie.o. Cal.; J.n. I. 19U) '.110 ho... .he Gallo....,. pl"opoul mJlhl
Illnd uplllinll Colorado I.... partleularl,. Ihe Colorado ell'On IllIult. COLO. REY. STA~. ,
37-BI.101 (J) (1916 Supp.)1. S<< .&0 Groll. T1It O"flo_J' /'roJ<<t tlnd ,IIr ColOl'lIdo R,~
CornpGCIS: W,II 'lit Comp<<IJ Stir T",~i" W"rtr D'rf'r$.ollJl. :U NAT. RuoulcU J. 9H
(1915); landI)'. T1tt GtlI/OWll':I ProPOK'II"d Colonrdo II'tlltF lAw: TM Limi/S of rM Docf"~
of Pnor Appropri",jo". 15 NAT. RnouJ.cn J. 961 (1915) (ditauaina II Imllh Ihe Upper
Buin probleml).
17. Sa Jl;prII noIn \T. 11-1] and acecmpan,;na tat.
I'. Sn ,wpnr nOlr 2J Ind KC'Ompan,illlleKl.

IJ. S<<NlI.hanlon.SIIprwnOIe6. 1110.
14. Tloe Colorldo Ri"lIT Projtcl Ad of 1961, Pub. L. No. 9O-H7. 12 Stll. IU. 117
(1961) (eodir~ II Imended at 4J U.S.C. " "01..,,, (1912 a SlIpp. III 19")).

1411

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