WSP06020

• File Number: 8271.300
• Description: Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program - General Information and Publications-Reports
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Water Division: 5
• Date: 1/1/3000
• Author: Sidney McFarland
• Title: Water Quality and the Law of the River
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

. .

. .

.

. .

~"u..

In ratifying the Boulder Canyon Project Act, Cailfornia
o
{\;l covenanted - by the Act of its Legislature-to limit its :annual
00
~ consumption of Colorado River water to'4,~00,000acre-feet

plus one-half of any surplus. Under terms of the Act, Arizona

n._ __
and Nevada were allocated 2,800,000 and 300,000 acre-feet,

respectively, with Arizona to share any surplus equally with

California with provision that should Nevada ~ontract for 4

per~8nt of the surplus, Arizona's .share of such surplus would

be reduced to 46 percent.

The apportionment of Lower Basin water was restricted to

the main stream of the Colorado ?ownstream from Lee Ferry

within the United States. Each State retained exclusive use

of its tributaries without charge to itsapportio~ed water;

consequently, the all-important use of the Gila River in

Arizona was awarded to that State without charge against

its main-stream entitlement-a key issue i~ the dispute.

The Secretary of the Interior, within the confines of the

Act, has authority to allocate and distribute the waters of

the main stream of the Colorado in water-short years, subject

to power of Congress to enlarge or diminish his authority.

Indian reservations are given priority for water, dating

from the time the lands in question became a part of the

reservation.

COLORADO RIVER BASIN PROJECT ACT

,

The Act provides for regional and westwide water resources

'planning to remedy the present and prospective critical water situa-
I
,
ition in the Pacific Southwest, including the entire Colorado River
I

IBasin. The Secretary of the Interior, working under general criteria
I
i
I
I 20
) ."

.;.^"<>" :',iL,:,~'