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<br />CALTFORi-HA'S STAKE IN THE COLORADO RIVER
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<br />The Imperial Irrigation District is the largest !lingle operating irri-
<br />gation project in the United States. It comprises more than 900,000
<br />acres in gross Brf'B, of which ahont 500,000 Bcres are now irrigated and
<br />producing crops. alld about 250,000 acre~ remain to be developed for
<br />irri::atioll.
<br />The Coachella Valle~: Count:.' Water Oistrict, witb about ]38,000
<br />acres of irrigable lands in eastern Riverside County lying north of the
<br />Salton Sea, is lIOW served by the Coachella Branch, All-American Canal,
<br />and shares ill tbe rightl'i to Colorado River water originally established
<br />in the 1890's. Approximately 75,000 acres ha\'e been (1961) developed
<br />for irrigation by means of 8. concrete pipe distribution system. In addi.
<br />tion, construction is progressing on an irrigation distribution system
<br />and drainage facilities for 10,500 scres of Indian lands. The District
<br />is also furnishing domestic water supplies in areas within its boundaries.
<br />In addition to the work l1nd('rtll.ken br the FE'deral Government, the
<br />construction of the Colorado Ri'Ver Aqu~\\ct was undertaken and fl-
<br />nancE'd directly b.v the Metropolitan Water District of Soutbern Cali.
<br />forllia. A bond issue of $220,000,000 was voted by the people of the
<br />district on September 29, 1931. Construction Oil the aquedud was
<br />started ill 1933, and 011 Parker Dam in 1934. The main a1lueduct to
<br />Lake Mathews was completed in 1940 and water delivE'red into that
<br />reservoir. Since that .vear the aqueduct has been functioning and water
<br />deli....ered to member cities aud agencies.
<br />During' World War II, the Fe-deral GOVE'rlllUE'nt, under a contract
<br />eIl:'cuted with the City of San Diego, built the San Dif'go Aqueduct to
<br />connect the Colorado Riw'r AljUeduct to the Blln Vicente Reservoir of
<br />the t'it?. It was completed alld placed in op('ratioIl ill December, 1947,
<br />])rovidillO' for about half the ultimatE! capacity nepded. Construction
<br />of a sli'co~ld barrli'l to complete the San Dili'go AllUli'duct was started ill
<br />1952 8nd completed in 1954. A second aqueduct Wl:I.S compll:'ted ill 1960
<br />and is now ill operation.
<br />The Metropolitan Water District since the begillllillg of operation
<br />h8~ continllen. to grow by further allllcxatiom,;. The district. IlOW
<br />(HI61) embraces an arell of more than 4,000 s411are miles, with 8
<br />population in excf'"S of 7,500,000. Mor{' alll}{'xatiollS Hre pendillg. Use of
<br />Colorado Riw'r water has beeu continuously illcreasillg" and all addi-
<br />liollHl requirements of the metropolitan ar{'as on the coastal plain will
<br />be sen'li'd from Ihis source, up to the limit of the di!o.'trict's rig-hts.
<br />
<br />~l the Dl..trlel C'Overe(l lubat..ntlll.lly II.ll the eoaatal plain In Ventura. Loa
<br />Ane-elea. Orll.nce, RlverBI(le. San B..rnar(l!no and San Diego COUnll..B, eKe..pt the
<br />upper San Gabrlel BailIn and th.. SlI.n Bernar(llno-Colton ar!!a. 1l comprlll!!d 2~
<br />munlclPllltlea II.nd dlltrletl lncludlng. In addltlon to Ill.. original ]3 clttt-s, the
<br />followtnlr t1lHlrlclJl' Genlrll.l Buln, C'1l.lno. Coa~[lIl, EaHtern. Foothill, Orance
<br />~~~~~r' ..;.~~odfGt~:~,Ltl:.Y.~"si:"D:;i:o'~ ~~~I~' ~~~::~U~th~~I[~"W~ll~~e~o";e~~;
<br />Included 80 l'.ddlUolULl cHlell, maklnll" .. tot.l of 93 dtleH In the DlMrlcl.
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<br />CALIFORNIA'S RIGHTS TO COLORADO
<br />RIVER WATER
<br />
<br />The foregoing history reveals step by step the story and background
<br />of CalifOrnia '8 rights and interests in and to the use of Colorado River
<br />water, from the first appropriation and use of the waters to the com.
<br />pletion of the Boulder Canyon Project and related works and facilitiell
<br />--a history covering a period of progressive planning and development
<br />of nearly a hundred years.
<br />With the consummation of the long drawu-out battle to secure the
<br />enactment of legif:llation authorizing the Boulder Canyon Project, the
<br />execution of contracts for water and power made a....ailable thereby,
<br />the completion or Ilear completion of construction of the works author"
<br />ized by the act, and the construction of other works and facilities
<br />noeeded in conjun~tion thl"roewitb, the pf'ople of Southern Cali[orllia had
<br />e\'ery reason to believe that the future water need!; of Southern Cali-
<br />fOfnia would be taken care of with reasonable adequac,v. Southern
<br />California agencies agreed to underwrite and have underwritten the
<br />entire cost of the Boulder Can:',oll Project; alld ill addition have ullder-
<br />takl:'n other substantial ohligatiolls, in considpration of the express
<br />terms of the Project Act whieh provides:
<br />1. Thnt ""!lltr lltor('[1 h:r Hoo\'..r Dltm 'R'"oulrl bt' IIMtll ""dll,;,.,l" ,,'ithill th.. Unite,l
<br />l'ltlllell:
<br />2. Thllt th(' AII-Am('rlnm Clln.1 would he ('"nllTrllefl'l] to ..un],].. 11'1(' lnlllf'rin' "ul-
<br />ley IInl to !Ie !etr,'ell hr fll('lbtit/! entJr..ly withio the l:lIittt! Hlnlf''';
<br />3. Tbot Cnlirorni. .,.ollld lIut ollly bll.,'e ita t~tl[blil'lb..d rill"btli 10 tbf' lI~P of Colo.
<br />rodo Rivtr wDler fully rll'otl'('t..d anu B..rv..oI, but nll.., ....,"'ltl h.. nil""....
<br />rf'IIBOIIUbll' ..l;pIIOHiolt, ilt('huiiltc" llun:J('i..nt w.tf'r to mf't't thf' ],o'''lIlio] rl'lll1lrt.
<br />meuta 01 tbt IIlelropolilau al'l'lIll of lbe cOllstol ploill or 8011th~rn ('lIlif"roill.
<br />Specifically, Sonthern California age-ncies e:lpr-ct..d to obtain the
<br />{ull amount or Colorado Riwr water to which its B,tl't'lIcif's have estab-
<br />lished rights by appropriation and use or bv contract. under the t{'rms
<br />of the Project Act; name!}', 5,400,000 at're-fe"et Bnuallv ill round fi"-'ures
<br />divided among the S('\'eral agenci~ all set forth i1; the Seven-Part}:
<br />Water Agree-ment. It was ill Bnticipatioll of these benefits and in re-
<br />lial1c{' 011 this amount of water that SOllthern CaJifomia agf'ncies made
<br />eOmmill1lellts alld inwslmellts Rj!'g'regatillg alrf'ady about $800,000,000.
<br />The nlllin works Blld facilitip,,; Rre nlready constructed and in op('ration
<br />to ulilizf' the entire amollllt of water covrrt'd bv these l$tabli8hed
<br />ri~hh. .
<br />On Februll.t".\' 9. 19-1-l, the Secretary of the luterior ex{'cuted a con-
<br />tract with tlte State of Arizona fol' de-liverj' of water from Lake Mead
<br />ulld{'r thf' Jlro\"isioll~ of Ihf' Boulder Canyon Projli'ct Act. This AriZOna
<br />u'ater eontraet exprli'~sly rt'cogllizes California's right to the full amOUllt
<br />of ColorRdo Ri\'rr water permitted by thli' California Limitation Act.
<br />Also in ElM, the Secretary of the Illterior executed a watpr deli\'ery
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