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<br />002243
<br />Equalizing 'Tht
<br />
<br />The 1922 Colorado River Compact
<br />"I'I"'lflu>lIc,1 1,,,Jr JI,e 1.1IC'" ....."lcr hI 1110':
<br />upp..:r b..~Ul )1;01.10.:\ of Color",Jo, WYOllllng,
<br />Utah and New Mexico and h;alr 10 the
<br />lower b..sin slalei of Arizona, Nevada and
<br />Calj(ornid. Thi, WOl' prc!\umcu 10 he 7.5
<br />1IIIIIIuII .tete.fecl c;u;h with.. puiol JUll.(
<br />hclow th..: Glen Canyon D..m on the
<br />Culur.ltlu River In An.wna oI!l.lh..: J,vllJing
<br />POint. A 1944 tre.!!)' between Mexico and
<br />;11'1\1 1llIlle.l SLdc\ uhhgal..:u 1.5 million
<br />40.:1..:-1":0.:1 to MClllt.:O.
<br />Although 16.5 milHon Olcrc.fcct hilS
<br />1>":1:/1 ioIpportiollcu, lilt.; cOlh:ulollCu ...i~ln
<br />nnw of tho.: riV\.'r ,,\lcril~CS closer to 14.0
<br />",,11,,>11 ..."c.l....' "11,,' 1'1221,...&:,.....11"'"
<br />11...1 bco.:n o.:om.luctcJ on the bdst:; of
<br />\lrc;amfl"..... rco.:onJs lakcn in the 2S )Ie".,.
<br />rOot, wllll.:h inull.:alcu OJ flow 10 cXl,:CloS of
<br />17 I1ltllinn ;,u:re-fl'l'l. ite.:ent tree-rinj!.
<br />'>1...1..." "..11,.,.1" I h,,( IJ". .!~'Y"'" I'c,,,,,1
<br />on which the compilct w;u; biliCd. Willi one
<br />"f Ihe wl'lle"l pennd" In 1Il0re Ihan 400
<br />years,
<br />Furlll,'ru",re, "In',,,..n..w re.:unl" fur
<br />e....:h ul" lhe pa:.1 gU YeOl!:' :.lIow :.o.;ver;lJ
<br />ye,lrs uf now heluw 12 million ;I..:rc.fect
<br />i1nd M:verill i1bove Ig million i1cre-fcel.
<br />The Ilesij!.n of the Colorado River
<br />Sh",.O\e l'U'led ,,, I" eWeu "ul Ihe ell-
<br />IremeS; to I;,une Ih..: mlghlY Coloudo 10
<br />Ihe he/\.:fil \If IhoM: who live ..lop!,: il as
<br />well ;as 11l0M: who don'L. The ooncept IS
<br />I" "lore w;ller from wd yca1'1l, w31er Ih..1
<br />III 11u,: p.."t n::.ulLed III dcw;I"l;.lIUlg fh"lXh,
<br />..nil carry H oWer for UM: during po.!riods
<br />uf drou~hl. And the con.:ept, IhoM: p;lrtli
<br />of the project 11I3t have been implement.
<br />e.IIS wllrklllO: hcyun.! ellP'C..:I;llion".
<br />TIL..: ,,:ulih iU": nUJIlln;l1 ;llId Ihe bend'h
<br />arc il1lm..:a"urabl..:. The proJe.:t stretches
<br />
<br />Flood-DrOugh'
<br />
<br />more Ihan 1,000 miles from FII,ming
<br />(;uro:e un Ihe lJli.lh.WYUffUI1~ horuer anu
<br />(;utec.anli in the hearl of Coloriluo 10
<br />La,un... Dam at the Unit.:d States border
<br />with Mexioo.
<br />The stor;lge proJect!> cvcn out Ihe now
<br />uf Ihe CulurJ.uo anu its IributilllCl> O!.loliur-
<br />ing adequ;lte w.ter sUPl'llies for domestic
<br />anu al>ri..:ullurill nceds. In iln 4C where ..
<br />world food shortage looms, the project
<br />Ii.." sU":l:ccded in pl;lcing suhslantiillly
<br />mure I;lnu inlu ;q;llcullun:, Tou.y,~O per
<br />
<br />A YEAlt 0'" In.:NI-.:t'rr::i ....WM
<br />COLORADO RIVER PROJECTS
<br />Municipial uN ino.!u.uw- 1..)99.000 aqo-fool
<br />Agil:ullllre &,G40,ooo ~-loet
<br />UydfU,,,,_, $])(.429,Ofo4;
<br />li,4t>>O,'J2J,lIt>> "'waU lira..
<br />rWl, WiI.Jlire.no.! kKrc,l..".
<br />Wal"'rar~ 47",os21"",Caa:at:l~
<br />Sborcline length 4,237 rna.
<br />J'uhhchlllllin3V....n<l. 2.!125,497xRlfi
<br />W.....liIe n,.ru... Ilc.o.lo 711,J7J acra
<br />o.mppoun,h 88
<br />&allallndlinat rampe; 76
<br />VUiIOl' OilY'
<br />
<br />Silfhl.....,i"ll
<br />""'''Ri<:kina
<br />Caml'UlI
<br />w'I.::r."ilng
<br />1Io&lln&
<br />Filbins
<br />lI..nhl>ll
<br />0"',
<br />T<llaI
<br />
<br />4,168"Stl7
<br />6711,tJO'J
<br />1.901,J59
<br />644,)46
<br />1,926.6tu
<br />1,757,919
<br />l>5,4'J9
<br />691,732
<br />II,lU4,1J6
<br />
<br />- An ICro-l'OOI <lr wiler i& IA amounl a rOOl
<br />higl. (Oft 1ft acre vr ,....ply 10 inchcl "i&h
<br />on a rUOlbiIU rieloJ ur J25.tl51 pUolloL
<br />
<br />"In the opinion of the general assembly of the state
<br />of CoJor.xJo the c:onscrvcllion of the water of the
<br />Colorado River in Colorado for storage, irrjgation,
<br />mining, clnd manufacturing purposes and the construc-
<br />tion of reservoirs, ditches, and works for the purpose
<br />of irrigation ':Jfld r(.'CliJmJtion of .xJditional l.mds not
<br />yet irrigated, as well as to furnish a supplemental
<br />~upply o[ waLer [or l.:mds now under irrigation, is of
<br />vital importance to the growth and development of
<br />the entire district and the welfMe of all its inhdbjtants
<br />and that to promote the health and general welfare of
<br />the state of Colorado an appropriate agency for the
<br />conservation, use, and development of the water
<br />resources of tbe Colorado River and jts principal
<br />tributaries should be established and given such powers
<br />as may be necessary to safegt.lard for Colorado, all
<br />waters to which the state of Colorado is equitably
<br />entitled under the Colorado Rjver Compact. II
<br />
<br />- 3146-101 CulQrado ReV1JoOd SI~tuteJ,lqul~II"e
<br />U\.'ICb~lil;Hl Ilr Artidc 46 cn:<Ili,. the CoIQ~o
<br />River Water CulUilCr..'iun ~Ult;t,
<br />
<br />B.uis for CoklrOildo water 1000w wa~ e~tablis.hed by gold ru~
<br />mincr\ "nd wriUen into Ihe SLlle constitution - fil'\l to ose it
<br />W015 I015t to lo~ it, n::gMdle~s of di~uncc:!t from the !tuum or
<br />,lny other factor, It i!t known Oil.!t the docuine of prior appropru-
<br />tion or the fir~t-in-time, first-in-right doctrine. It is also known
<br />as the CoJorddo Doctrine since Colorado WOilS not only the fifit
<br />\1..l.Ie tu oIpply it ol~ 100W bUI i\ the only \Wtc 10 use it excluwvely,
<br />MOilny Sliltes us.c a combination of prior Oil.J)propriation Oil.tld the
<br />ripJ.rian iJUl:trinc while most c.c.tcrn sLlh..'!t o!tC the riparian
<br />system exclusively, The riparian doctrine simply gives use of Oil
<br />:.lrC4m Lu tho::.c owning I.u~ OIlong iu banlu., thu!t rigtm to
<br />wOilter.are not a separate property right a!t they are in ColorOildo,
<br />
<br />Cycle
<br />
<br />cent of the fre5b fruil Oilnd VCicuble
<br />I'lroduetion in the Unileu Slilteli comes
<br />frum 1rr~tcJ filrml.lOd.
<br />I>evdopment of the rich energy re-
<br />sources 'of the West to alleviate the
<br />nation's energy short;qe CMl take place
<br />only wilh ildc4u.te water supplies -
<br />liI.fpplies m.de .available by stonge,
<br />Eaeh ye.ar millions take .dvanl.age of
<br />the recreahonal opportunities offered by
<br />the slorilgc projects, which also serve to
<br />relieve prc~ure on mon: dclic.ate areas
<br />thai mi&Jtt otherwise be dam.aacd. Stre.ams,
<br />which provide life SIIpport to a multitude
<br />of flora and fauna .arc protected from
<br />I he nuu,l.druuO\ht ..:ycle wilh till: Iolvcn
<br />now from stor.a&e-projecls,
<br />The front end money for dilm$ con-
<br />~ru..:lcd under the Color-.do River Stor-
<br />i1~ Projcct is provid.:d by the United
<br />Slales t.'uugrelo.' ;llId I!l. ";lid back from
<br />sale of water and electricity, On mOlt of
<br />Ihe major prujc..:1s waler is n.:leaJi4,:u ovcr
<br />tu.rbines gener.ating Ihe cleanest form of
<br />n.:ncwahlc cleelricity ;.available - hydro-
<br />e1e":lri..: pow..:r J!l. bulh non-pul1ut~ ;.and
<br />inexhau5tible. On the Colorado River
<br />Slor.ge Proje..:t, revenue from Ihe ule of
<br />electricity h.as been sufficjent to make
<br />1"';I)'lIIenlli \)11 IhOM: projCl:b anu ..l1ow rur
<br />helpma !l.tor:ijlc projects that do not
<br />generale electricily, The projects pai for
<br />themliClves.
<br />StoraRe projects not only hold water,
<br />polenli;llly in~reasc food sUl'lplicli, in.
<br />sun: adequate water supplies for human
<br />consumption, providc recrc;.ational oppor-
<br />tunities, strengthen local tax b.ase5 and
<br />rn:J;Crve stn:ilms, but they also produce
<br />jUbllO - jObli from con:.Lru~tion OI.Ild Job5 In
<br />rcl.ated jnduslriC5 that folio....
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<br />#Colorado gets most of its
<br />6O-day period in the spn'ng.
<br />lose it . . , ,.
<br />
<br />water b1 runoff over a
<br />We capture it or we
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<br />- Colorado GOV'ernor Richard lilmm
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