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<br />36
<br />
<br />0...1254
<br />. J ARKANSAS RIVER COMPACT
<br />
<br />met and negotiated such a compact but their work failed to receive" the ap.
<br />proval of either State. .
<br />In I928 the State of Colorado instituted suit in the Supreme Court of the United
<br />States against the State of Kansas for the purpose of requiring Kansas to en-
<br />force upon its water users the provisions of the Supreme Oourt's 1907 decree.
<br />and to enjoin further litigation by her a'gents against appropriators in Colorado.
<br />Kansas, by counterclaim, asserted that Oolorado water uses had increased
<br />to the substantial injury of Kansas since the 1907 decision and requested a
<br />judicial apportionment of the stream flow between the two States. Valuminous
<br />testimony covel'ing a period. ,of nearly 10 years was taken in this second 'inter~
<br />state suit and reported upon by a special master appointed by the court.
<br />Durfng the pendency of the Oo.lorado v; Kansas case, and at a time when Fed. .
<br />eral Quthorization for the eaddoa Reservoir project was being urged, a stipula.
<br />tion dated December 18, 1933, was entered into by the two States. In this stipu.
<br />lation both States agreed to use their influence to obtain the construction of the
<br />GaddoD project and agreed to maintain the status quo of the use of the waters
<br />of the Arkansas River by specifying an allocation of reservoir water -between the
<br />two States. This stipulation was later introduced in e\"idenc_e as a joint exhibit
<br />in the Oolorado v. Kansas suit but it recei:ved no recognitton in the Court's ulti-
<br />mate judgment
<br />The Supreme Court's opinion In the case of State ot, Oolorado v. State of Kansas-
<br />(320 U. S. 383). was delivered (In December 6, 1943. The Court granted the .in-
<br />junction sought by Colorado but rejected the special master's findings and
<br />recommendtions in declining to decree other relief for which Colorado had asked
<br />and Kansas had counterclaim.ed. In thus disposing of the suit the Suprel11!e'
<br />Court expressed its philosophy and advice for the guidance of the litigants in
<br />the followIng words:
<br />"The reason for judicial caution in adjudicating the relative rights of States in
<br />stiCh cases is that, while we have jurisdiction of such disputes, they involve the
<br />interests of quasi-sovereigns, present complieated 'and.delicate questions;' and,-due-
<br />to the possibility of future ch!lnge of conditions, n~cessithte expert administra-
<br />tIon rather tha~ judIc~alim~~)l~.tt1on of a h8;1'Q and :fa~t rule. Such controversies
<br />may appropriately be composed by negotiation and' 'agreement! ,pursua:t;lt, to the.
<br />compact clause of the Federal Constitution. We say of this case, as the court.
<br />bas said of interstate dUferences of like nature, that sU,ch mutual accommodatioll>
<br />and agreement sliould,.lfposslble, be the medium of settlement, instead of invoCR-.
<br />tion of our adjudicatory power."
<br />
<br />. That admonition from the Supreme Court has led to the compact
<br />
<br />negotiations covered by this report.
<br />
<br />In the intervening years, 1943-47, the John Martin (Caddoa)
<br />
<br />project, which is described more fully in section 5 of thIS report,.
<br />
<br />reached a'stage of partial completion which permitted the storage of
<br />
<br />water for irrigation use up to a volume of 100,000 acre-feet. Impound-
<br />
<br />ment and release of this water was governed by various interim opera-.
<br />
<br />ting agreements between State officials. The first of these interim
<br />
<br />agreements (1943) adopted the formula for allocation specified in the.
<br />
<br />Stipulation of 1933; other formulas were adopted in subsequent years.
<br />
<br />Though none of these interim arrangement brought complet satisfac-
<br />
<br />tion, they were reasonably satisfactory in enabling beneficial use of
<br />
<br />limited .reservoir storage during the years of war and postwar emer-
<br />
<br />gency. They also served a good purpose in high lighting the adminis-
<br />
<br />trative difficulties to be solved in a permanerit compact. In the final
<br />
<br />analysis, experience with the various interim operating agreements.
<br />
<br />developed clearly that differences of interpretation or lack of agree-
<br />
<br />ment among the State officials, or among the water users, ultimately
<br />
<br />brOUght the problem into the lap of the Corps of Engineers whose
<br />
<br />district engineer is charf,led with the responsihility of actual operation.
<br />
<br />of the John Martin proJect. .
<br />
<br />Naturally enough, the opposing indIvIduals _and. groups affected by this long-
<br />standIng dispute developed strong partisan attitudes and convictions regarding:
<br />their respective water rights. The negotiation of the proposed compact against
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