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<br />"mastery over nature" and the river was altered and controlled to develop its <br />water. In fact the Colorado River has been described as the most utilized, <br />controlled, and fought over river in the world (Crawford and Petersen 1974). <br />This river derives less water per square mile of drainage than any other major <br />river in the United States but serves 15 million people with water for <br />municipalities, irrigation, mining, industry, and recreation (Utah Water <br />Research Laboratory 1975). Pressure to further alter this already over- <br />allocated water resource is increasing to supply the expanding population as <br />well as use in developing some of the largest fuel deposits (coal, oil, oil <br />shale, and uranium) in the United States (Bishop, Chambers, Mace and Mills <br />1975). <br /> <br />Legal control of water in the Colorado River drainage began with the <br />Colorado River Compact that was completed in 1922 and provided for division of <br />water between seven states comprising the upper and lower basin, anticipated <br />pemands of an eventual Mexican Water Treaty and imposed certain restrictions on <br />quantities and scheduling of flows (Harris et a1. 1982). The 1948 Upper <br />Colorado River Compact provided annual consumptive-rights for Arizona and <br />apportioned the remaining water to the upper basin states. The division of <br />water among the states allowed laws to be passed for the development of upper <br />basin water projects. In 1956, the Colorado River Storage Project Act was <br />enacted by Congress that included construction of large mainstem dams on the <br />Colorado River and its tributaries. Six reservoirs were constructed as part <br />of the storage units (Lake Powell, Flaming Gorge, Blue Mesa, Morrow Point, <br />Crystal, and Navajo). The mainstem reservoirs in the upper basin were <br />completely filled when Lake Powell was completed in 1980. <br /> <br />4 <br />