WSP07803

• File Number: 8200.300.40.A
• Description: Colorado River Compact
• Basin: Colorado Mainstem
• Date: 1/1/1922
• Author: W. S. Norviel
• Title: Compact Proposal by W.S. Norviel, Colorado River Comissioner for Arizona
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

WHEREAS, there is urgent necessity for the immediate
control of the floods of the Colorado, River to avoid the men-
ace of overflow ahd the consequent loss of life and destruction
,of property and to conserve for beneficlal uses the unused
waters' cf the, River, and to that end there should be construct-
ed at the earliest possible date a large dam or dams at some'
suitable point or points on the lower river of sufficient cap-
acity to store at least the average annual flow of the River;
~d ' ,

WHEREAS, subjeot to ratification and approval by the
Congress ahd by the Legislature of said states the terms of
such Compact have been agreed upon by said Commission as follows:

ARTICLE I

II

The states of hrizor.a, California, Colorado, New Mex-
ico, Nevada, utah and Wyoming mutually agree, among themselves
and with each other and with the United states of America that
with respect to the USe, distribution und utiHzation of the
I waters of the Colorado River and its tri.butl?,ries, the following
,general principles shall be recognized and enforced as controll-
ing in all interstate controversies or d ispnt",,) T31ating theTe-
to, any law or custom of any state to the llJYl'tra,:,:,y notwithstand-
ing. '

First. For the purposes of t:btscompact, the Col-
orado H1Ver basin is to be reg~rd6d as eniliraoir.g the entire
watershed of the Colorado River and also the Impe~ial and Coa-
chella Valleys, and is to be considered as one economic unit.

Second. By the wor! "ApproprIation" as herein used
is meant a diversion of water from its natu!'al channel and its
application to a beneficial use and the creation thereby of
legal rights to such diversion and use, re~Jbnized and enforced
generally in'states where irrigation is p:cao~i.sed.

By the phrase "priorit;y of Appro-
priation" as herein used is meant that an earlier
appropriation is in right of dive,rsion and use
superior to a later appropriation;

By the phrase"parity of right" as
herein used is meant that as between appropriations
equality of right of diversion and use shall pre-
vail unaffeoted by any priority arising from time
or place of diversion and use:

Third. The Common Law Doctrine of Riparian Rights
shall not apply or be enforced within the Basin.

Fourth. Existing rights of appropriation are to
remain unaffected by this compaot.

2