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<br />~'I ~ <br /> <br />/' n " . )fe. j.ev. \ v....1.(/ -,' <br />J J 15k1", '->j, j) 'n }0Ddvl le...- <br />"', ~~V . <br /> <br />o <br />l'-.J <br />0) <br />00 <br /> <br />Nl\.'l'ER QU!\LI'l'Y l\.ND 'l'IlE LAI1 OF 'l'lIP. RIVER <br /> <br />'l'hc Colorado River rIses in the tJigh snm1capped Mountains of <br /> <br />Colorado and flows in a sO<i::hwesterly direction for a~);,::-oxinately <br /> <br />1,400 miles throuc;h ColrJrado, Utah, and l\rizona and alonc;the <br /> <br />,\;:izon.:\ Nevada and the l.rizona-California boundaries until it <br /> <br />C;':LJties into the Guli of Cillifornia in ~lexico. On its way to th8 <br /> <br />~;C~I waters aro addc~ by tributaric~ ~vhich originate in the St~tc.s <br /> <br />of \':yor:l.ing I Colorado I Ut:all, licv.:tda, New Nexico and. 1\ri zona.. <br /> <br />r.l.lhe river and i,ts t:ri;Jutl1rics drain a vast area of app:::-oxi- <br /> <br />mately 242,000 s~uarc miles-about one-twelfth the area of t~c <br /> <br />continental United S'cates, excluding t;ie State of l',laska. Eos'c <br /> <br />of this large basin is so arid that it is largely dependent upon <br /> <br />controlled and rnanClgcd l:'S" ofelie ,'Iaters of the Colorado River <br /> <br />system to make it prodl,ctive and inhabitable. There is an aC:di- <br /> <br /><:::'0;,a1 area of 7,800 sqUiirc, miles, ,~hich includes the Inrerial i3.:Y, <br /> <br />C03chella VallC':-.7~ ir~ sot:t.Lcrn Californin., '"t'lhich is consi~',er(;,~ to ::<:: <br /> <br />a part of the Lm'ier Colorado River Basin. The basin is div:, <br /> <br />.......'.\.. <br /> <br />~_.h0 Upper B.:tSj.:i , ~lhe:ce \.j.:\ters naturally drain into the Colo;:,.,.. ," <br /> <br />:\.iver ~bovc Lee Ferry D.nd the Lower Basin, where watc~s drair~ i...-,t,- <br /> <br />.:.h.e river b-.;;lO\"r Lee :.:'crx-;,. <br /> <br />In '.:>,0 Lo-.-rer Basin, the diversion of water from the Color",,'o <br /> <br />:.V8r for agricultu:~,_.: purposes started, on a large sc~le, arou~(~ <br /> <br />..J..>..., <br /> <br />':".'(:;..~n (.,.. <br /> <br />the ':~ntur'.'. <br /> <br />I'lorks to dl.vert water into i:he Im)Y _ ' <br /> <br />,-..,--~_:.::.y 't',Tor(~ .:.;c.;"lplc'(.cd .I..~I ").001 as a private undcrtakj...,',. T1nat ::;':'.:l~,:"- <br /> <br />:,"'.1.'C, lar<jo diversion worl~s were also begun in tho 1',,10 Verdo V;:L,,::'. <br /> <br />~~c li~itcd and erractic na~urc of the river flows from year t~ ye~~ <br /> <br />,-/ <br />8271.300 <br />~ <br /> <br />Ji <br />,~k~L.;L :~,' 'k~J: ' <br />