WSP03310

• File Number: 8271.200
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program - Development and History - UCRB 13a Assessment
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 8/13/1979
• Title: WRC Study - Draft Summary Report
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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prove insufficient for this purpose, then, the burden of _
such deficiency shall be equally borne by the Upper Basin
and the Lower Basin. . .

Mexican Water Treaty of 1944. In 1944, the United. States and Mexico
did indeed negotiate a treaty covering the delivery and use of water from
the Colorado River (and two other rivers as well). In that treaty, Mexico
was guaranteed 1,500,000 acre-feet per year "of the waters of the Colorado
River, from any and all sources. . .. ," subject to certain contingencies
(art. 10). Several complex articles govern the timing and location of,
deliveries, but their terms are not pertinent to this assessment.

Upper Colorado River Basin Compact. The Colorado River Compact did
not address the question of apportioning the Upper Basin's entitlement
among the Upper Basin States. Thus, in 1948, Arizona, Colorado, New
Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming agreed to apportion the beneficial consumptive
use of water from the "Upper Colorado River System" .as follows (art. III(a)):

1. 50,000 acre-feet per year to Arizona, and

2. of the water remaining each year after deduction of Arizona's
use, 51.75 percent to Colorado, 11.25 percent to New Mexico,
23 percent. to Utah, and 14 percent to Wyoming.

In addition, article V(b) (I) provides that evaporation from reservoirs
used solely to assist the Upper Basin in meeting its delivery obligations
at Lee Ferry (or that .portion of evaporation from a multipurpose reservoir
which is chargeable to this purpose) shall be charged.to the Upper Division
States.

Besides making a general apportionment of water among all of the States
of. the Upper Basin, the compact also provides for the division of water
between pairs of States on a number of specific rivers.

Acts of Congress. The purposes to be served by the operation of the
major storage reservoirs in the Colroado River Basin have been set forth in
several laws passed by Congress:

I. Boulder Canyon Project Act (45 Stat. 1057) ,

2. Boulder Canyon Project Adjustment Act (54 Stat. 774,
43 U.S,C. 618(a)),

3. Colorado River Storage Project Act (70 Stat. 105,
43 U.S.C. 620), and

4. Colorado River Basin Project Act (82 Stat. 885,
43 U.S.C. 1501).

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