WSPC00070

• File Number: 8200.700
• Description: Colorado River-Colorado River Basin-Colorado River Basin General Publications
• State: CO
• Date: 7/1/1976
• Author: Felix Sparks
• Title: Colorado River Documents and Major Events-Sparks Synopsis-July 1976-Synopsis of Major Documents and Events Relating to the Colorado River
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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with Mexico concerning the waters of the Colorado River. In
recognition of article III (e) of the Colorado Fiver Compact relating
to a future potential agreement with ~~xico, Congress further sug-
gested that Arizona and California should mutually agree to supply
the Lower Basin I s half of any cieficiency from the main stream of
the Colorado aiver.

Arizona a~~m~~tly refused to enter into the compact suggested
by Congress, a sitwu:ion which continues to exist. However, this
issue was at least partially laid to rest by the Supreme Court
decision in the case of Arizona vs. California, and by certain
provisions of the Colorado River Basin Project Act of 1968.

A further provision of the Boulder Canyon Project Act gave
congressional approval for the Upper Basin states to negotiate a
compact among themselves dividing among the respective states the
7.5 maf apportioned to the Upper Basin by the Colorado River Compact.
This the Upper Basin_states did by the Upper Colorado River Basin
Compact of 1948.

3. Mexican Treat.., and Protocol of 1944

On February 3, 192+4, at Washington, D. C., a treaty was
executed between the United States and Mexico relating to the COlo-
rado River and the Rio Grande. This treaty was subsequently rati-
fied by the United States Senate on April 18, 1945. !he most
significant provision of that treaty relating to the Colorado River
is as follows:

Article 10

Of the waters of the Colorado River, from any and all
sources, there are allotted to Mexico:

. (a) A guaranteed annual quantity of 1,500,000 acre-feet
(1,850,234,000 cubic meters) to be delivered in accordance
with the provisions of Article 15 of this Treaty.

(b) Any other quantities arriving at the Mexican points
of diversion, I~it:h the understandir.g that in any year in which,
as determined by the United States Section, there exists a
surplus of waters of the Colorado River in excess of the amount
necessary to supply uses in the United States and the guaranteed
quantity of 1,500,000 acre-feet (1,850,234,000 cubic meters)
annually to Nexico, the United States undertakes to deliver to
Mexico, in the manner set out in Article 15 of this Treaty,
additional waters of the Colorado River system to provide a
total quantity not to exceed 1,700,000 acre-feet (2,096,931,000
cubic meters) a year. Hexico shall acquire no right beyond
that provided by this subparagraph by the use of the waters of
the Colorado River system, for any PUI?ose whatsoever, in excess
of 1,500,000 acre-fe~t (1,850,234,000 cubic meters) annually.

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