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<br />Background
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<br />M(~i()r 101m Wesley Powell
<br />(abol'e) pictured Irith II
<br />Paiute Indian during a
<br />Northern Arizono .'5Il11'ey
<br />and his party (be/ow)
<br />during exploration of
<br />the Colorado and the
<br />Green rivers in 1869.
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<br />HISTORY
<br />
<br />Developing the waters of the Colorado River Basin
<br />to serve society's needs began as early as 600 A.D.
<br />The Anasazi Indians developed a complex distribu-
<br />tion system to supply drinking and irrigation water in
<br />Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico. It was
<br />used until the mid.11 OOs when they abandoned the
<br />region. About the same time, the Hohokam Indians
<br />built hundreds of miles of canals that diverted waler
<br />from the Salt and Gila rivers (tributaries of the Colo.
<br />rado) to their settlements located in and near what
<br />is today Phoenix. At the Montezuma Well in central
<br />Arizona, these canals are preserved in their nearly
<br />original condition because fhe calcium confent ot the
<br />water caused lime to line the canals. Interestingfy,
<br />scholars say the collapse of the Hohokam civiliza.
<br />tion in the mid.1400s most likely occurred because
<br />of problems which prompted dam building in the
<br />West: alternating periods of floods and droughts.
<br />
<br />In the mid,16th century, Spanish explorers ventured
<br />to the Southwest. While some apparently were more
<br />interested in treasure and less intrigued by the
<br />rugged terrain, a few did settle areas of Arizona,
<br />California and New Mexico. They introduced live.
<br />stock and built community ditch systems called
<br />acequias, some of which still exist today.
<br />
<br />The Colorado River Basin was the last major area
<br />of the 48 contiguous states to be explored. Even in
<br />the 1850s, the region appeared on U.S. maps as a
<br />500,mile by 200.mile region marked "unexplored."
<br />
<br />In the mid.1800s. the Church of Jesus Christ of Latler
<br />Day Saints (Mormons) arrived in the West and
<br />expanded upon the earlier water works of American
<br />Indians and Spanish missionaries. The Mormons,
<br />
<br />so enraptured by the region, petitioned Congress
<br />(unsuccessfully) to establish the state of Deseret.
<br />an area which comprised much of what is now known
<br />as the Colorado Basin. Colorado River tributaries,
<br />the Green and Virgin rivers, were the main irrigation
<br />water sources for the growing Mormon population.
<br />Their interest in harnessing these Colorado River
<br />tributaries helped set the stage tor the publicly owned
<br />water districts and federally funded government
<br />projects which came later.
<br />
<br />In 1869, geologist John Wesley Powell led a party
<br />that became the first to successfully explore and map
<br />the Green and Colorado rivers. A one.armed Civil
<br />War major, Powell led three boats down the
<br />Colorado through Ihe Grand Canyon on two
<br />expedillOns. proving the trip could be accomplished.
<br />He published a detailed account of his explorations
<br />in 1875 and later became the second director of the
<br />U.S. Geological Survey. Powelt wrote and spoke
<br />extensively about his belief that large-scale
<br />settlement of the Colorado River Basin was
<br />impractical. figuring there was not enough water to
<br />serve all of the region's arid lands.
<br />
<br />In an 1878 report to the secretary of the Interior.
<br />Powell suggested three major proposals to the
<br />government: stop selling farmland without access
<br />to water; set property boundaries to encompass
<br />natural watersheds to avoid competition for streams;
<br />and encourage farmers to build irrigation systems
<br />in groups and not rely on private water companies.
<br />Although his pian generally was rejected, the
<br />semblances of his proposals were incorporated into
<br />the Federal Reclamation Act of 1902 and other
<br />tederal reclamation programs ot the early 1900s.
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