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I Ii ?"-- " OiJJ)39 DRAFT v. Interstate Compacts While the Constitutions and water laws of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah stipulate that the water of natural streams is dedicated to the use of the people of the respective states, these provisions are subject to decision of the U. S. Supreme Court which provides for an equitable apportion- ment of the benefits of an interstate stream. Consistent with this decision, there must be a division of the waters of all interstate streams; this division may be accomplished either by decree of the U. S. Supreme Court or by inter- state compacts consented to by the Congress. The four states listed above have by compacts secured a definition of their rights to the water from the Colorado River and its tributary, the San Juan River. A. Colorado River Compact The major purposes of this compact are to '?r'o,,-irl,? f.........., th<'" (',:..~:table division and apportionment of the use of the waters of the Colorado River System; to establish the relative importance of different beneficial uses of water; to promote interstate comity; to remove causes of present and future controversies; and to secure expeditious agricultural and indus- trial development of the Colorado River Basin, the storage of its waters and the protection of life and property from floods. The Colorado River Basin is divided into two subbasins, with Lee Ferry the division point. The Upper and Lower Basins are each granted the exclusive beneficial con- sumptive use of 7,500,000 acre-feet per annum from the Colorado River System. The Lower Basin is granted the right to increase its beneficial consumptive use by 1,000,000 acre-feet per annum. The Compact stipulates that the states of the Upper Division will not cause the flow of the Colorado River at Lee Ferry to be depleted below an aggregate of 75,000,000 acre- feet for any period of ten consecutive years reckoned in continuing progressive series. 19.