The Fallon standard. (Fallon, Nev.) 1920-1958, 1922-11-29
Colorado River
Compact Ratified
Representatives of Western States
Reach Agreement as to Rights
To Use of Water
DIVIDE COLORADO BASIN
INTO TWO DISTRICTS
Hoover Fayors Construction of Con-
troll Dam ut Boulder Canyon;
Would Cost $20, 0,0O0,O0O

troll Dam ut bouiuer canyon,
Would Cost $20, 100000
The Colorado river commission,
and the federal government, reached
an agreement at Santa Fe, New Mex
leo last Friday, which provides for
the expeditions agricultural and In
dustrial development OF the Colo
rado river basin, the storage of its
waters and the protection of the low
er valleys against flood
First of Kind
The states signatory to this COM
pact, the first of its kind in America,
are Arizona. California, Colorado,
Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wy
oming. The signers in the order of
states given are w. s. Norviel, w. +.
Mcclure. DELPHI e. Carpenter, J. G.
Scrugham, Stephen b. Davies Jr., r.
ii. Caldwell and Frank c. Morrison.
Herbert Hoover, secretary of com
merce, representing the federal gov
ernment who has presided at the
conference. handed the signers the
special gold pen provided by the
state of New Mexico for the pur-
pose, and which will be preserved
in the state archives. Governor
Mechem of New Mexico and a small
group of Santa Fe men and women
Of al nd
photographs were taken of Secretary
Hoover and the commissioners in the
act of affixing their signatures.
The compact, completed after Is
days of intense application by the
commission, is about 1000 words
Its purposes. expressed in the first
article. include the following:
ITO provide for the equitable di-
vision and apportionment of the use
of the waters of the Colorado river
basin; TO establish the relative i'm
portance of different beneficial uses
of water; TO promote interstate COM
ity and to remove causes OF present
and future controversies.
Basin Is Divided
The compact divides the river
basin into two divisions, the upper
including Wyoming, Utah, Colorado
and New Mexico; the lower, Arizona.
Nevada and California. The agree
ment apportions in perpetuity to
each sections the exclusive benefie-
ial use" of 100000 acre feet of
water annually, including water
necessary for supplying existing
rights.
The lower basin also Is given the
right to increase such water by l.
000,600 acre feet per annum. II is
provided that IL the United States
recognizes any right of Mexico to use
OF the Colorado river waters. Il shall
be supplied by the surplus, from the
twod visions equally. Further ap-
portionment of unapportioned wa
ters may be made 40 years hence. II
the present apportionment has been
fully utilized.
Use of the river for navigation is
made subservient TO agricultural
use The right of each state to reg
ulate water use within its boundar
les Is not abridged.
Present Rights Unimpaired
Through commissioners, whose
acts are subject to legislative ap-
proval. provision Is made for setting
f.,t, t..f tate
.ent perfected rights TO the beneficial
use of water are unimpaired; the
compact may be terminated at any
time by unanimous consent; nothing
in II is to affect obligations by the
government to the Indians nor shall
anything in II limit legal proceedings
TO enforce IL.
Provision also Is made for the set
ting up of committee OF state and
national water officials for the col
lection of Information and the
measurement of the flow of the riy-
er. The compact is to become bind
ing when ratified by the state legis-
latures and congress.
The federal government was rep
resented at the conference by Sec
retary Hoover of the Department OF
Commerce and A.. r.. Davis, head OF
the Reclamation Service. "The foun-
dation has been laid for great
American conquest" declared Mr..
Hoover "The harnesslng OF the
giant Colorado river will follow the
ratification OF the pact between the
seven states of the Colorado river
basin With such ratification, the
next step will be the construction
without delay, of control dam, un-
der authorization OF congress.
"Then the southwest will come
into its magnificent heritage of pow
or and life-giving water, and all the
nation will be vastly benefited.
"The first step is to settle the con-
troversy between the upper and low
or districts of the Colorado basin.
There can be no development until
that Is settled. Ratification by the
states of the pact agreed upon by
the Colorado river commission Will
speedily accomplish this. II the mat
ter is forced into the supreme court,
II may require years.
g stTha naxf sfap will he the con-