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

Upper Colorado River Compact

37 -62-101.
37-62-102.
37-62-103.
37-62-104.
commission.
37 -62-105.
37-62-106.

Upper Colorado River compact.
When compact operative.
Interstate agency created by compact.
Appointment of Colorado member of

Payment of expenses of commission.
Administrative code inapplicable.

37 -62-101. Upper Colorado River compact. The
general assembly hereby ratifies the compact among the
states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and
Arizona, designated as the "Upper Colorado river basin
compact" and signed in the city of Santa Fe, state of
New Mexico, on the 11th day of October, A. D. 1948,
by Clifford H. Stone, commissioner for the state of
Colorado, Fred E. Wilson, commissioner for the state of
New Mexico, Edward H. Watson, commissioner for the
state of Utah, L. C. Bishop, commissioner for the state
of Wyoming, Charles A. Carson, commissioner for the
state of Arizona, and approved by Harry W. Bashore,
representative of the United States of America. Said
compact is as follows:

Article I
(a) 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, the
use of which was apportioned in perpetuity to the upper
basin by the Colorado river compact; to establish the
obligations of each state of the upper division with
respect to the deliveries of water required to be made at
Lee ferry by the Colorado river compact; to promote
interstate comity; to remove causes of present and future
controversies; to secure the expeditious agricultural and
industrial development of the upper basin, the storage of
water and to protect life and property from floods.
(b) It is recognized that the Colorado river
compact is in full force and effect and all of the
provisions hereof are subject thereto.

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 term "Lee ferry" means a point in the
main sh.eam 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 Colorado river 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 Colorado river system
below Lee ferry.
(h) The term "Colorado river compact" means
the agreement concerning the apportionment of the use
of the waters of the Colorado river system dated
November 24, 1922, executed by commissioners for the
states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New
Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, approved by Herbert
Hoover, representative of the United States of America,
and proclaimed effective by the President of the United
States of America, June 25, 1929.
(i) The term "Upper Colorado river system"
means that portion of the Colorado river system above
Lee ferry.
U) The term "Commission" means the
administrative agency created by article VIII of this
compact.
(k) The term "water year" means that period of
twelve months ending September 30 of each year.
(1) The term "acre-foot" means the quantity of
water required to cover an acre to the depth of one foot
and is equivalent to 43,560 cubic feet.
(m) 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.
(n) The term "virgin flow" means the flow of
any stream undepleted by the activities of man.

Article III
(a) Subject to the provisions and limitations
contained in the Colorado river compact and ill this
compact, there is hereby apportioned from the upper
Colorado river system in perpetuity to the states of
Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming,
respectively, the consumptive use of water as follows:
(1) To the state of Arizona the consumptive
use of 50,000 acre-feet of water per annum.
(2) To the states of Colorado, New Mexico,
Utah and Wyoming, respectively, the consumptive use
per annum of the quantities resulting from the
application of the followillg percentages to the total
quantity of consumptive use per annum appropriated in
perpetuity to and available for use each year by upper

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