Colorado Water Conservation Handbook

• Year: 2004
• Title: CWCB Board Member Handbook
• CWCB Section: Administration
• Author: CWCB
• Description: Handbook containing phone numbers, addresses, statutes, rules, policies, straegic plans and Board member work plans.
• Publications - Doc Type: Other

Colorado River Compact

37-61-101.
37-61-102.
37-61-103.
37-61-104.

Colorado River compact.
Compact effective on approval.
Approval waived.
Certified copies of compact.

37-61-101. Colorado River compact. The General
Assembly hereby approves the compact, designated as
the "Colorado River Compact", signed at the City of
Santa Fe, State of New Mexico, on the 24th day of
November, A.D. 1922, by Delph E. Carpenter, as the
Commissioner for the State of Colorado, under authority
of and in conformity with the provisions of an act of the
General Assembly of the State of Colorado, approved
Apri12, 1921, entitled "An Act providing for the
appointment of a Commissioner on behalf of the State
of Colorado to negotiate a compact and agreement
between the States of Arizona, California, Colorado,
Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming and between
said States and the United States respecting the use and
distribution of the waters of the Colorado River and the
rights of said States and the United States thereto, and
making an appropriation therefor.", the same being
Chapter 246 of the Session Laws of Colorado, 1921,
and signed by the Commissioners for the States of
Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and
Wyoming, under legislative authority, and signed by the
Commissioners for said seven States and approved by
the Representative of the United States of America
under authority and in conformity with the provisions of
an Act of the Congress of the United States, approved
August 19, 1921, entitled "An Act to permit a compact
or agreement between the States of Arizona, California,
Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming,
respecting the disposition and apportionment of the
waters of the Colorado River, and for other purposes.",
which said compact is as follows:
Colorado River Compact
The States of Arizona, California, Colorado,
Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, having
resolved to enter into a compact, under the Act of the
Congress of the United States of America approved
August 19,1921, (42 Statutes at Large, page 171), and
the Acts of the legislatures of the said states, have
through their Governors appointed as their
commissioners:
W. S. Norviel, for the State of Arizona;
W. F. McClure, for the State ofCalifomia;
Delph E. Carpenter, for the State of Colorado;
J. G. Scrugham, for the State of Nevada;
Stephen B. Davis, Jr., for the State of New
Mexico;
R. E. Caldwell, for the State of Utah;
Frank C. Emerson, for the State of Wyoming;
who, after negotiations participated in by Herbert
Hoover appointed by the President as the representative
of the United States of America, have agreed upon the
following articles:

Article I
The major purposes of this compact are to
provide for the equitable division and apportionment of
the use of the waters of the Colorado River System; to
establish the relative importance of different beneficial
uses of water; to promote interstate comity; to remove
causes of present and future controversies; and to secure
the expeditious agricultural and industrial development
of the Colorado River Basin, the storage of its waters
and the protection oflife and property from floods. To
these ends the Colorado River Basin is divided into two
Basins, and an apportionment of the use of part of the
water of the Colorado River System is made to each of
them with the provision that further equitable
apportionments may be made.

Article II
As used in this Compact: -
(a) The term "Colorado River System" means
that portion of the Colorado River and its tributaries
within the United States of America.
(b) The term "Colorado River Basin" means
all of the drainage area of the Colorado River System
and all other territory within the United States of
America to which the waters of the Colorado River
System shall be beneficially applied.
(c) The term "States of the Upper Division"
means the States of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and
Wyoming.
(d) The term "States of the Lower Division"
means the States of Arizona, California and Nevada.
(e) The "Lee Ferry" means a point in the main
stream of the Colorado River one mile below the mouth
of the Paria River.
(f) The term "Upper Basin" means those parts
of the States of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah
and Wyoming within and from which waters naturally
drain into the Colorado River System above Lee Ferry,
and also all parts of said States located without the
drainage area of the Colorado River System which are
now or shall hereafter be beneficially served by waters
diverted from the System above Lee Ferry.
(g) The term "Lower Basin" means those parts
of the States of Arizona, California, Nevada, New
Mexico and Utah within and from which waters
naturally drain into the Colorado River System below
Lee Ferry, and also all parts of said States located
without the drainage area of the Colorado River System
which are now or shall hereafter be beneficially served
by waters diverted from the System below Lee Ferry.
(h) The term "domestic use" shall include the
use of water for household, stock, municipal, mining,
milling, industrial and other like purposes, but shall
exclude the generation of electrical power.

Article III
(a) There is hereby apportioned from the
Colorado River System in perpetuity to the Upper Basin
and to the Lower Basin respectively the exclusive
beneficial consumptive use of7,500,OOO acre feet of
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