WSP04820

• File Number: 8210.140.20
• Description: Colorado River Basin Organizations and Entities - Colorado River Basin States Forum - California
• State: CA
• Basin: Western Slope
• Date: 10/19/1987
• Author: Water Education Foun
• Title: Western Water Water Is Life Water Awareness Week
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

The colgiado River

The Colorado River IS 1.440 miles long
and passes through parts of seven slates
(Wyonung, Colorado, Utah. New Mexico,
Arizona. Nevada and California.) and the
Republic of Mexico. The Colorado is the only
source of water for much of the arid lands
surroundmg it &caust: of aU the COffipetmg
needs fOr'Ndlt'1 mthe region. an agreement
was nl:'golialed among the stales, and later
coun decisIOns and agreements with MeXlco
further determmed the allocation of (oh
rado RNt'r waler among the states and Mex-
ico. 11e Colorado was the firsl major river in
the US to have every drop of 11s 'Nater allo-
caled and is the most adjudicated riVer In
the natIon
With complelion of the Central A."izona
Project, when Arizona begms to use Its full
allocation. California's share of the Colorado
will bE' 44 million acre.feet, reduced from
5.3 million acre-feet Coastal southern Cali-
fornia will then lose about 600.000 acrdeet,
roughly halfofltsallotmenl. This loss.
coupled v.rith continued population growth,
poses a serious challen~ to coastal south.
em CaHomla-how to ma~e needs and
supplies match. The area has a number of
possibilities. induding water conservallon
and reuse. lnnovauve water transfer and
banking plans and the controversial import
of more water from northern California
None of these possibilitiesv.rill bE' easily
realized
A11lhe dams on the Colorado River are
operated by the Bureau of Reclamation. an
agency of the US Department of the Inte-
nor. The Secretary of the Interior ma~es the
decis:l'nswhich control distnbution of the
walerfrom these projects. in accordance
with aU the doruments that ma~e up the
complex "law of the Riverumcludingthe
Colorado RIver Compacl of 1922. court deci-
sions. federallav.rs. and other agreements.
whIch determine water enUtlemenls of
indIViduals.

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