Compacts, Decrees, and Treaties Affecting CO's Water

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Cali.fornia - March 4, 1925, Utah - Mlarch 6, 1929, and Ari.zona - February 24, 1944. Of particular imporzance is the fact that for many years the Arizona legislature refused to ratify the compact, despite the urging of its commissioner. This refusal caused consider- able consternation among the other states, since the compact by its explicit terms provided that it would not become effective until approved by the legislatures of each of the signatory states. This problem was solved by the Boulder Canyon Project Act of 1928. 2. Boulder Canyon Project Act of 1928 After the execution of the Colorado River Compact by the signatory states, the state of California renewed its battle to obtain congressional authorization for the construction of the Boulder Dam pro,ject. At the time this battle was renewed, the legislatures of Arizona, California and Utah had not yet ratified the compact. However, it was anticipated that both California and Utah would ratify the compact, but that Arizona would not. This problem was neatly solved by a provision of the Boulder Canyon Project Act passed by Congress in 1928 which specified that the Colorado River Compact would become effective when ratified by the legislatures of six states. Almost immediately after the passage of that act, the states of California and Utah ratified the compact, bringing the total number to six and thus making the compact a reality. The act specifically states that it is subject to the terms of the Colorado River Compact. In order to placate the state of Arizona, the act provided that it would not become e-ffective until the- state of California, by, act of its legislaCure, 1ad -irrevocably ' agreed to limit its consumptive use of water from tt-e Colorado River to 4.4 million acre-feet annually. This the legislature of California did, although reluctantly. However, thiy provision did not satisfy Arizona and it fought the passage of the Boulder Canyon Project Act. The act was supported by all the other states of the Colorado River Basin. The principal purpose of the a:t was to authorize the construction of the Boulder Canyon Dam 3n the lower Colorado River. An extremely significant section of the act autb:orized the states of Arizona, California and Nevada to enter in=o an interstate compact which would divide among those states the 7.i million acre- feet of water apportioned annually to the Lower Basiz by the Colo- rado River Compact. The apportionment suggested by ;ongress was 2.8 maf to Arizona, 4.4 maf to California, and .3 ma:: to Nevada. Congress further suggested that Arizona should have :xclusive beneficial consumptive use of that part of the Gila 2iver and its tributaries within the boundaries of the state of Ar'_zona, and that the Gila River should never be called upon to satisfti any agreement -6-