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<br />
<br />.Paciflc lAw Journal/Vol. /9
<br />
<br />/988 / California Colorado R;vtr Issues
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<br />of the Interior entered into the requisite power contracts. and then
<br />looked to waler delivery contracts. Arter some activity in this regard,
<br />the Secretary wrote to the existing and prospective users In California
<br />and the State Di\'lsion of Water Rights requesting a recommendation
<br />as to the allocation and relative priorities of parlies 10 be given waler
<br />contracts." After considerable neBOllatio. under the leadership of
<br />the Slate Enginerr, an agreement was reached among those inlerested
<br />in obtaining contracts for Colorado River waler on August 18, 1931.
<br />This agreement is known as the Seven Party ^grecment..'
<br />The Agreement.' apportioned the Colorado River water available
<br />for use within California under the Colorado Ri\ler Compact and
<br />
<br />the Boulder Canyon Project Act as follows: a muimum beneficial
<br />consumpti\le use of 3.850.000 acre-feet per year were allotted to the
<br />so-called agricultural interests. The agricultural interests affected
<br />included the Palo Verde Irrigation District, the Yuma Project of the
<br />Bureau of Reclamation in California, the Imperial Irriaation District.
<br />and Ihe COllchella Valley Water District (after reachina: a compromise
<br />agreement with Imperial)." The next two priorities went to the
<br />Metropolilan Waler District of Southern California for a total of
<br />1,212,000 acre.feet per year." The remainder was allotted for aRri.
<br />cuhural use.
<br />Two items should be noted, First, if there is no surplus and
<br />California is limited to 4.400.000 acre-feet, Metropolitan, with the
<br />lower priority, will be cut by 662.000 acre.feet and Imperial and
<br />Palo Verde will lose a potential 300,000 acre-feet. Second, all diver.
<br />sions must be made only for beneficial consumptive use.U
<br />The Secretary accepted the recommendations of the SC\len Party
<br />Agreement and amended existing conlractsU to include and limit
<br />them to the Agreement, which was set forth in full. The Seven Party
<br />Agreement was similarly included in all contracts executed after its
<br />date. As a result, California's share of the use of Colorado River
<br />water was entirely apportioned.
<br />
<br />.6. S<< WllIUI" En.~",. nOIf 3, II 1m, 1001,
<br />47. ~jd. lIIOOJ.
<br />.,. The"'re!men!COnll;nedlhefoll~in'M'YmS<<tlonl:
<br />SECTION I. A fim prioril, 10 Palo Verde !rri,llIon DisulCl ror bendidll uw
<br />eJdu'l~d, upon Ilndl In Io1ld DiJlriclal II now eli'll Ind uron Ilndl bel_em ..id
<br />Di'lriC'l Ind .he Culor.du llivCT, Iurq..;n, Cwithin Ind _1.hGUI wid DillfiC'l) a
<br />trOllaA'1 of 1(1.1.500 lerel. tuch "llert" II\Ir be required b)' laid Ilnd..
<br />SECTION 2. A 5oeC:ond priori,)' 10 Yuml Projel:r: of Iht Uniled 511tel Bureau of
<br />Reclamllion for bmtficial use upon not ncmlinl I IrOlI Irea of 25,000 urn or
<br />land loclted in lIid prOjtd in CIlifomia, ludr "lien II ml, lit required b, lIid
<br />.....,
<br />5ECflON ,. A Ihird prlorll, III 10 Imperial IlIi'IHon Ditlrid Ind olher landl
<br />under or thll .ill be Itrvtd hom Ihe AlI.American Clnllln Imperill Ind COIehdl1
<br />VIIIt)'I, Ind Ibl 10 Palo \lerde IrrlJlIIOn Ditlrict for ule ncluuvel)' oct 16,000 Acrel
<br />In Ihal Irfa known It Ihe "Lowtl Plio Vnde Me...:' Idjutnl 10 Palo Vtrde
<br />!rri,.lIon DillliC'l, for bentfici.1 corllumpri"e u\e, J,S50,OOO Kre ftel: of _Iltt per
<br />Innumlen Ihebeneficillconlumpriveu<tunderlhtpriorilieldf'1llnlltd in Seclion.
<br />I Ind 2 above. Tht rilhtl de'li,nJled Ca. Ind Ibl In Ihi, M'(loon lit or tquII priorir)'.
<br />Tht 101.11 beneficill con'lUmp!lW't UK under pnoriliel 1IIIed in SeCliorll I, 2 Ind 3
<br />of Ihil arlicle Ihall nOl uceed J,!50,OOO lat fM of _ller per Innum.
<br />SECTION 4. A roullh pnoril)' 10 the Melropolilln Waler Dhlrlel of Soulhern
<br />C.lifornia Ind/or the Cilr or LoI An,tln, fOt" bmefici-.l "",Iumplivt Ult, by
<br />them,el..C'I alld/or olherl. on the COIIIII Pllln of Southern Cllifornla, 5SO,OOO Icre
<br />Ie!! of .aler per Innum.
<br />SECTION ,. A firlh prlorilr, III 10 Ihe MetropOlilan Wiler DiIlrIc1 of Soulhern
<br />Cllirornia and/or Iht Cil)' of LOI Anlel", ror beneficial conlumplivt Ult, b,
<br />Ihem,eh'n Ind/or olhen, on Ihe Coaslll Pllin of SoUlhern CIlltornil, 5'0,000 ac:rt
<br />leel of waler per Innum Ind (bl 10 Ihe Cil)' of Sin DItIO Ind/or Counl, or Sin
<br />Dei,o, ror btntflcill conlumpll'tt' UK, 112,000 acrt ret! or ..aln pn annum. Tht
<br />ri,hu dni~n'led 1IIInd fb) in Ihl, IeClion a~ tqul.l in plloril,.
<br />SECTION 6. A '1i1lh prioril)' (1.1 10 Imper;.1 I"i'llion o;slnCl Ind o.hn landl
<br />under or Ihll .ill be {rrved from lhe AlI.Amtrlun Clnal in Imperial and C~chelll
<br />Valley., Ind {bl 10 PI'Io \lnde Imll.lion Dillncl ror UIt eldusivtl, on 16,000 Icra
<br />In Ihlr Irel "no..n 'u Ihe 'Lo.er Plio Vnde Mna,' Idjlcent 10 P.lo Verde
<br />Irriplion o;"ril:1, ror bmerllCIII conlurnplive Ult, J,ooo,OOO Icre fec1 of _lltr per
<br />Inn\lm. The rilhrt dnitn.led (a) Ind (bl In Ihit leellOft 1ft equal in priorir,.
<br />SJ::CflON 7. A. K'rtnlh prioril, or III remalnin, wiler l"lllablt fOt" Ule within
<br />(j';rlirotnil, for IlricullUTlI use in Ihe Colorldo Ri"er Batin in Cllifornil, al laid
<br />bonin il cSe,i,nlled on Mlp No. .HOOD of Ihe Deplnmml of lhe Inltrlor, Burau
<br />4! Recllmllion.
<br />!Wid.
<br />
<br />.--.
<br />
<br />4. The Opinion and Decree in Arl:ona ... CaliforniaSl
<br />
<br />In 19S2 the States of Arizona and California commenced a legal
<br />battle concerninRthe equitable apportionment of the Lower Colorado
<br />River. The Court handed down a far reaching opinion eleven years
<br />laler followed by a decree in 1964. The decree which affects the
<br />
<br />49. Tht Imperi.I-Col.cheUa c:ompromis.e IJI"ttmtnl aIlowt'd Coachenl 10 lure in Iht Ihird
<br />prioril" bUI II be'lwetn Iht 1"0 laman, Imperial hu lhe: hi,htr prlotlty. Sft WIUtIII a:
<br />Eu,~p'lInoltJaIIU. 1107.
<br />'0. The Cily of Lo, Antelel III:"e1' eUC'\lIed I ...Itr deliwft')' c:vnnle'l .1Ih ~ht Sette'llr"
<br />10 Me'lropohlln holdl IlIlhe InlernlS of Priorilin . Ind ,. Tht Cily of Sin Ok,o t.eculed
<br />I ..lfr deri..er)' conlTlCl for Iht 111.000 Uft rM of Prioril, ,. !>ft WUUII " En, 'lip'.
<br />nole J II 1009. VJhen Iht San DitlO COUnly Wlrn AU(horil, jointd Mtlfopolilln in 1946,
<br />thll eonlnel _u IUllned to Melfopolilan. Id. It 1011-14.
<br />51. The lint 1"0 prioril;C1 (PlIo Verde Imlllion 0;1lric:r. Ind the Yuml Projecr:) lpelk
<br />In lerm' of "beneficil.l use" ralher Ihln beneficial c:onlurnPlI~ UIt. presUmlbl, trtclUIe Ihole
<br />lwo Ilencin muturt ut.e b, divenionl leu relurnl 10 lhe Rivn. -
<br />'2. !>ft, r., . id. II 1007-01 IMetropolilln c:onlllct of April 24, 19JO. amtndtd StpI. 2',
<br />19JI).
<br />H. ]7) U.S. ~ (19&:1), nil', dt,"ed, ]" U.S, '92 (1'iI64): J76 U.S. J40 (I'iI64) (1964
<br />de!ret).
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