WSP07393

• File Number: 8027
• Description: Section D General Correspondence-Federal Agencies
• Date: 4/8/1949
• Author: BOR
• Title: DOI BOR Region 4 Regional Planning Engineer's Monthly Progress Reports
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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I make these preliminary remarks because a very important step

is about to be taken in the Upper Colorado River Basin--the adoption of

a l~ng-range plan under which further utilization of the water and

~ther natural resources can go forward.

I like to refer to this plan for the Colnrado River Storage

Project as the third major enabling act in the history of the development

of the C~lorado River Basin.
some of
The first, as/you will recall, was the divi~ing of the waters

of the Colorado River between the Upper and Lower Basins. This was

accomplished by the Coloradc River Compact of 1922.

The second great enabling act was allocation of the Upper Basin's

shar!3 among the five upper basin states, This -"a~ achieved by the Urner

Col~rad~ River Compact, signed by CrAnpact Commissioners on October 11, 1948,

approved by the Congress this spring, and signed by President Truman ~n

April 6, 1949. The compact allocates 50,000 acre-feet annually to Arizona

and of the remainder 51.75 percent t~ Colorado, 23 percent to Utah,

14 percent to Wyoming, and 11.25 percent to New Mexieo.

The third major enabling act, yet to be formally accompliShed,

will be the final determination as to how, where, and with what projects
the four states of the Upper Division (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and

New Mexico) choose to put their respective shares of Upper Basin water

..... to fullest use.
(j)
~ Let's examine the situation that confronts these states. With
o
nearly 100 potential large and small irrigation projects in the Upper Basin,

we know from studies made for our Colorado River Report of 1946 that the

irrigable land areas greatly cxcced the available water supply, We also

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