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<br />The Colorado River flows some J ,300 miles from its headwaters in
<br />Wyoming and Colorado to its mouth in Baja California, Republic of Mex-
<br />ico, where it empties into the Gulf of California, an estuary of the Pacific
<br />Ocean, The main stream and the tributaries comprising this system drain
<br />242,000 square miles of land in the United States and 2,000 square miles in
<br />Mexico.' The system is the only significant source of surface water in an
<br />area bounded by the Rocky Mountains on the east and the Sierras on the
<br />west and encompassing one-twelfth of the continental United States, ex-
<br />cluding Alaska.
<br />The Colorado River has been the cause of bitter and protracted struggles.
<br />Control of the river means potential wealth and prosperity; without water
<br />from the river, a state may be condemned to desert and destitution. Yet, as
<br />high as the stakes are, the allocation of the waters of the Colorado River
<br />system has been accomplished largely by agreement rather than by liti-
<br />gation.
<br />This Article endeavors to identify the forces that have led to the settle-
<br />men! of the conflicts by agreement, the nature of the settlements, and the
<br />areas of disagreement left open (intentionally or unintentionally) in the
<br />documents of settlement.
<br />Following a description of the geography, hydrology, and economy of
<br />the basin and of the out-of-basin areas dependent upon the river (Part 1),
<br />the discussion of the controversies over use of the river is divided into four
<br />sections: the Upper Basin-Lower Basin conflict, which produced the Colo-
<br />rado River Compact of 1922-the effective date of which was 1929 (Part
<br />II); the controversy among the states of the Upper Basin, which was re-
<br />solved in large part by the Upper Colorado River Compact of J948 (Part
<br />III); the controversy among the states of clle Lower Basin, the most signifi-
<br />cant recent development in which is the decision of the United States Su-
<br />preme Court in Arizo71a v. California' (Part IV). The conflict between
<br />
<br />The Colorado River"
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<br />II 209
<br />.,.. '-" 211
<br />:,!'>'_ 320
<br />,/1' ';..--> ~ J'. porter 688
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<br />.... - ...... Co. v. , 468
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<br />.....~Iun Co'.
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<br />
<br />Charles J. Meyerst
<br />
<br />
<br />301
<br />168
<br />1025
<br />145
<br />1369
<br />30B
<br />1024
<br />320
<br />65
<br />
<br />678
<br />
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<br />. @ J 966 by Chules J. Mey~n.
<br />t B.A. 1949, Rio:: Uni....~r:r.ity; LL.B. J949. University of Teus; LL.M. 195.3. I.S.D. 1964. Co.
<br />lumbi.a Uoin:rsitr. Professor of L.aw, SIOl.nford University.
<br />The author is indebted ILl Mr. A. Dan Tarlock, LL.B. Stanford, 1965. now Assistant Professor
<br />of Law .;1 the UnJ\'enit)' of Kenruck}', for his assistance in the prcpau.tion of P.arlS 1 and 1II of this
<br />Anide.
<br />This Aniele was commissioned by the New York University Sd..oo~ oi: Law Inlern,a1ional Rivus
<br />Projecl and >> $Ch~uled to appear :15 a ch;lpu:r in a book to be publahed under the spon~Tship of
<br />the project. The author alone is responsible for the contents oE the Article.
<br />1. American Section of the 1m') Water Comm'n, U"iud SttJl~1 and Merica, H.R. Doc. No. 359.
<br />71st Cong.,:J.d Sess. 17 (1930).
<br />1-. 373 U.S. 546 (1963) (opinion), ~76 U.s. 30\0 (t964) (d~ltt).
<br />I
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