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<br />OCHOO
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<br />(283 u. S. 423)
<br />
<br />STATE OF ARIZONA
<br /> v.
<br />STATE 01' CALIl'ORNIA, et al
<br /> No. 19
<br />October Term - No. 19
<br />
<br />Argued March 9, 10, 1931
<br />Deoided lillly 18, 1931
<br />
<br />*448
<br />
<br />*Mr. Justice BRANDEIS delivered the opinion of the Court.
<br />
<br />The Boulder Canyon Project Act, December 21, 1928, c. 42, 45 Stat. 1057
<br />(43 USCA Par. 617-6l7t) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, at the expense
<br />of the United States, to oonstruct at Blaok Canyon, on the Colorado river, a
<br />dam, a storage reservoir, and a hydro-electrio plant; provides for their control,
<br />management, and operation by the United States; and declares that the authority
<br />is conferred "subject to the terms of the Colorado River compact, II for the pur-
<br />pose of controlling the floods, improving navigation and regulating the flow of
<br />the Colorado River, providing for storage and for the delivery of the stored
<br />waters thereof for reclamation of public lands and other beneficial uses *
<br />
<br />*449
<br />exclusively within the United States, and for the generation of electrical energy
<br />as a means of making the project herein authorized a self-supporting and finan-
<br />cially solvent undertaking." Section 1 (43 USCA Par. 617).
<br />
<br />The Colorado River Compaot is an agreement for the apportionment of the
<br />water of the river and its tributaries. After several years of preliminary
<br />inforlJlll.l diSCUSSion, ColoradO, Tiyoming, Utah, New Hexioo, Arizona, Nevada, and
<br />Cal ifornia - the seven States through which the river system extends _ appointed
<br />connnissioners in 1921 to formulate an agreement; and Con@;ress. upon I"equest,
<br />gave its assent, and a.uthorized the appointment of a representative to act for
<br />the United Sta.tes. Act of August 19, 1921, o. 72, 42 Stat. 171. On November
<br />24, 1922, these commissioners and the federal representative signed an agree-
<br />lllBnt to become effeotive when ratified by Congress and the Legislatures of all of
<br />these States. The Boulder Canyon Projeot Act approved this agreement subjeot
<br />to certain limitations and conditions, the approval to become effective upon the
<br />ratification of the oompact, as so modified, by the Legislatures of California
<br />and at least five of the six other states. The Legislatures of all these states,
<br />except Arizona, ratified the modified oompact, and the act was accordingly de-
<br />clared to be in effect. Proclamation of June 25, 1929, 46 Stat. 20.
<br />On October 13. 1930, Arizona filed this original bill of oomplaint against
<br />Ray Lyman Wilbur, Secretary of the Interior, and the states of California, Nevada,
<br />utah, Ne;v LIexico, Colorado and r,yoming. It charges that YJilbur is proceeding in
<br />violation of the laws of Arizona to invade its quasi sovereign I"ights by build-
<br />ing at Blaok Canyon on the Colorado river a dam, half of which is to be in Ariz-
<br />ona, and a reservoir to store all the water of the river flOWing above it in
<br />Arizona, for the purpose of diverting part of these vraters from Arizona for
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