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<br />the extent of their rights in respect of the water
<br />supply, The result was the establishment of a
<br />Colorado Ri ver Commission composed of members
<br />from each of the seven States. ,This Commission
<br />finally agreed in 1922 upon the terms of a com-
<br />pact to govern the allocation of the waters of the
<br />Colorado River system (H. Doc. 605, 67th Cong"
<br />4th sess., serial 8215), This compact apportions
<br />to the upper basin and lower basin respectively
<br />7,500,000 acre-feet of water each year for beneficial
<br />consumptive nse, with the lower basin having the
<br />right to increase its use by 1,000,000 acre-feet each
<br />year. ,The compact provides, in addition, that
<br />should the United States allocate by treaty any
<br />Colorado River water to Mexico such allocation
<br />shall be supplied first from the waters that are
<br />surplus above the 16,000,000 aere-feet apportioned
<br />to the two basins, and if this surplus is insufficient'
<br />'the deficiency is' to be borne equally by the two
<br />basins. By still anot.her provision the States of
<br />the upper basin guarantee to deliver during each
<br />period of 10 years not less than 75,000,000 acre.feet
<br />at Lee Ferry, which is above Boulder Dam. This
<br />compact, approved by the Congress in 1928 (45
<br />Stat. 1057), was ratified promptly hy illl of the
<br />basin States except, Arizona, which delayed its ratio
<br />fication until February 1944.
<br />The next step was the passing of the Boulder
<br />Canyon Project Act, approved December 21, 1928
<br />(45 St,at.. 1057), by the terms of which Boulder
<br />Dam and appurtenant works were built at a total
<br />cost of approximately $150,000,000. This cost was
<br />to be repaid for the most part out of revenues from
<br />the power contracts made between the Depart-
<br />ment of the Interior and certain power interests.
<br />In pursuance of the Colorado River Compact
<br />and Boulder Canyon Project Act, the Department,
<br />of the Interior entered into certain other contracts,
<br />these being for the supply of water to California
<br />projects as follows; the Metropolitan Water Dis-
<br />trict of Southern California (Los Angeles and cer-
<br />tain nearby communities), the Imperial Irrigation
<br />District (including Coachella Valley), the Palo
<br />Verde Irrigation District, and the city of San
<br />Diego, These water contracts are for permanent
<br />service and call for the delivery of water from
<br />storage created by Bonlder Dam. They recite the
<br />order of priorities set up by the State of California,
<br />but the actual delivery of water under them is
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<br />made subject to the availability thereof, for' use in
<br />California, under the Colorado River Compact
<br />and Boulder Canyon Projeet,Act. Following the
<br />execution of these water contracts, the Metropoli.
<br />tan Water District built an aqueduct from Parker
<br />Dam to the Los Angeles area, and the Department
<br />of the Interior built Imperial Dam on the Colo-
<br />rado above Yuma, Arizona, and the All-American'
<br />Canal running from this dam to the Imperial Val.
<br />ley, which thus no longer depends upon the Mexi-
<br />can Canal. By the terms Of the All-American
<br />Canal contract the Imperial Irrigation District is
<br />obligated ultimately to repay the Government of
<br />the United States for the actual cost of the dam
<br />and the All-American Canal.
<br />Since the California contracts were entered into,
<br />the Department, of the Interior has made a contract
<br />with the State of Nevada to supply a maximum of
<br />300,000 acre-feet each year, and the legislature of
<br />Arizona has recently approved a contract calling
<br />for the annual delivery of a maximum of 2,800,000
<br />acre-feet, plus one half of the surplus, to that State,
<br />Both of these contracts are subject to limitations
<br />and reservations which are the same as, or simila.r
<br />to, those which are contained in the California
<br />contracts. ,
<br />WlJile the States of the Colorado hasin lll1d the
<br />Congress of the United States were making efforts
<br />to solve the interstate problems of this river, the
<br />International Water Commission, United States
<br />and Mexico, was endeavoring to reach an agree-
<br />ment on the quantity of water that the United
<br />States should guarantee to Mexico. Just as in the
<br />case of the Rio Grande, the COll11llission failed to
<br />reach lL decision. The Mexicans demanded u'p to
<br />3,600,000 acre-feet each year, but the United States
<br />representatives were willing to grant only the
<br />maximum amount that had been used in Mexico up
<br />to that time-that is, approximately 750,000 acre-
<br />feet-plus main canal losses and other waters not
<br />definitely set forth,
<br />The 10 years following the collapse of the efforts
<br />of the International Water Commission were
<br />marked by a steady increu,e in the amount of land
<br />plaLed under irrigation in the Colorado River
<br />basin, hoth in the United States and in Mexico,
<br />It became aprmrent to most of tbe States of the
<br />basin that a treaty with Mexico was advisable, not
<br />only because of general international relations but
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