The Colorado statesman., 1923-01-20


tire Legislature of each Of the seven sgnatory states
and by congress. In doing these seven states
of the Colorado River basin have
Settled by treaty instead of by resort to the
United States Supreme court fundamental ana
vitality important Interstate rights
Settled at small expense within II months after
the appointment of the commission a multitude Of
disputes that threatened years of litigation block
Ing the development of the Colorado basin;
Set n precedent in American history;
Taken the first step toward the creation of nm
empire within an empire the development of which
taxes the Imagination and will affect individual
living from coast to coast.
The headwaters of the Colorado river, the
map shows, are IN Wyoming just south of Yellow
stone National park and In northwestern Colorado.
Water flowing from Miner pass in the Rocky
Mountain National park falls 10,759 feet on Its
to the sea. The Green and the Grand come
together in Utah to form the Colorado. The Col
orado in Arizona flows through Grand Canyon Ma
tonal park. 1t empies into the Gulf of California
I'm Mexico. 1t is nearly 1000 miles In length and
than of rivers contribute their
ters. It irrigates and annually with floods
the Imperial and Palo Verde valleys In California
and the Yuma valley In Arizona. Its basin totals
242,COO square miles of American territory.
1t is exaggeraton to say that the original
contentious of the seven states were so far apart
that nm agreement seemed hopeless. But Herbert
Hoover, secretary of commerce, appointed by
President Harding as the representative of the
United States, there as chairman of the COM
signed by the representatives of the seven warning
states and bears this: approved Herbert
Hoover"
Following is the official text of the compact,
with the omission of certain technical details not
,.ecessary to comprehensive understanding of the
whole:
"The States of Arizona, California. Colorado,
Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming having
resolved to enter into compact under the act of
the congress of the United States of America ap-
1921 40 Stat L.. n 171). and the
acts of the legislatures of the said states have
throuEh their governors, appointed as their COM
fuissioners w S Norviel for the State of Arizona;
w. f. Mcclure, for the State of California; Deph
r.. Carpenter, for the State of Colorado; ]. G.
ScruGham. for the State of Nevada; Stephen d.
Davis. Jr, for the State of New Mexico; r. E. Cad-
well. for the State of Utah; Frank C. Emerson, for
the State OF wyoming. who after negotiations par
ticipated in by Herbert Hoover, appointed by the
President ms the representative of the United
States of America, have agreed upon the following
articles:
Article l. The major purposes of this compact
provide for equitable division and apportion
ment of the use Of the waters of the Colorado
river system, to establish the relative Importance
of different beneficial uses of water to promote
Interstate comfy to remove causes of present and
future controversies, and to the expeditions
agricultural and industrial development of the Col
orado Rivtr basin, the storage Of It's waters, and
the protection of life and property from floods
To these ends the Colorado River basin is divided
into two basins, and an apportonment of the use
of part of the water of the Colorado river system
fs made to each of them with the provision that
further equitable apportlonments may be made.
Art. II. AS used in this compact: CAY The term
Colorado River system means that portion of the
Colorado river and its tributaries within United
States of America. (Bl The term Colorado River
basin. means all OF the drainage area of the Col
orado River system and all other territory within
the United States of America to which the waters
of the Colorado River system shall be benefically
applied (C) The term States OF the upper divi-
ston means the States of Colorado. New Mexico,
Utah and wyoming (D) The term States of the
lower dyision means the States of Arizona, Cali
&, u. and Nevada. (E) The term Lee Ferry