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<br />. <br /> <br />,.... <br />Q <br />(,Jl <br />~.... <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />.' <br /> <br />HISTORY OF WATER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (continued) <br /> <br />4. Arizona vs. California Suit in the Supreme Court <br /> <br />The States of the Lower Basin have never agreed to a compact for the <br />division of use of the waters of the Lower Colorado River Basin. The State <br />of Arizona filed suit in the Supreme Court of the United States in October <br />1952 against the State of California and others for the determination of <br />the rights to use the waters of the Lower Colorado River system. The <br />Supreme Court gave its decision on June 3, 1963, and issued a decree on <br />March 9, 1964, providing for the apportionment of the use of the waters of <br />the main stream of the Colorado River below Lee Ferry among the States of <br />Arizona, California, and Nevada. The States of Arizona and New Mexico were <br />granted the exclusive use of the waters of the Gila River system in the <br />United States. The decree did not affect the rights or priorities to the <br />use of water in any of the other Lower Basin tributaries of the Colorado <br />River. <br /> <br />The decree permi tted the States of the Lower Basin to proceed wi th <br />developments to use their apportionments of Colorado River water. Major <br />new developments include the Southern Nevada Water Project in Nevada, and <br />the Central Arizona Project in Arizona. Development of the Indian lands is <br />expected to use all of the water allocated to them by the decree. These <br />lands include the Colorado River Indian Reservation, Arizona-California; <br />the Fort Mohave Indian Reservation, Arizona-California-Nevada; and the <br />Chemehuevi Indian Reservation, California. <br /> <br />5. Colorado River Basin Project Act (Public Law 90-537, 90th Congress, <br />September 30, 1968~ <br /> <br />The major items provided in the law include the following: <br /> <br />a. Construction of the Central Arizona Project consisting of a <br />system of main conduits and canals including a main canal and pumping <br />plants (Granite Reef aqueduct and pumping plants) for diverting and <br />carrying water from Lake Havasu to Orme Dam or suitable alternative. <br /> <br />b. Construction of five multiple-purpose projects in Colorado; the <br />Animas-La Plata, Dolores) Dallas Creek) West Divide, and San Miguel; <br />and one in Utah, the Uintah Unit of the Central Utah Project, upon <br />completion and approval of a feasibility report to Congress. <br /> <br />c. Establishment of a Lower Colorado River Development Fund. <br /> <br />d. Development of criteria for the coordinated long-range operation <br />of the Federal reservoirs, equalizing the storage in Lake Mead and <br />Lake Powell. <br /> <br />e. Direction that the Secretary of the Interior shall conduct full <br />and complete reconnaissance investigations for the purpose of develop- <br />ing a general plan to meet the future water needs of the Western <br />United States, except that for a period of 10 years from the date of <br /> <br />15 <br />