WSP08338

• 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 and the consequent loss of life and destruction
,of property and to conserve :for beneficial uses the unused
waters of the River, and to treat end there should be construct-
ed at the earliest possible date a large dam or dams st some'
suitable point or points on the lower ri.ver of sufficient cap-
acity to store at least the average annual flow of the River;
snd

WHEREAS, subjeot to ratificatioTI and approval by the
Congress and by the Legislature of said stutes the terms of
such Compact have been agreed upon by sai.d Commission as follows:

ARTICLE I

The states of .hrizol:a, Californ.is, Colorado, New Mex-
ico, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming mutually ag~ee, among themselves
and with each other and with the ,j;']ii;ed ste.tes of America that
with respect to the use, distributioD St:nd uUlization of the
I waters of the Colorado River and its trj,butc.!'ies, the following
general principles shall be reeogni.?sd [,ond "nforced as controll-
ing in all interstate controversi9s or dis~lt0S relating there-
to, any law or custom of any state to the l~.>r1tra.::,y notwithstand-,
ing,

First, For the parpos8s of tris compact, the Col-
orado Hlver basin is to be reg2rded 8S 8nili~~~ir.g the entire
watershed of the Colorado River and also thE' J:mpe:::-ial and Coa-
chella Valleys, and is to be considered as one economic unit.

II

Second, By the war! "Appropri.ation" as herein used
is meant a diversion of water from its riatu~al channel and its
application to a beneficial use and the c~eation thereby of
legal rights to such diversion and use, re3~~nized and enforced
generally in' states where irrigation is flra" eised.

By the phrase "pr.iorit;y cf Appro-
priation" as herein used is meSTlc that an earlier
appropriation is in right of cJiv8'!'sicn and use
superior to a later appropri.ation;

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

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

Fourth. Existing rights of a9propriation are to
remain unaffected by this compact.

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