The Elk Mountain pilot., 1923-02-15
THE COLORADO RIVER COMPACT
By ROBERT F. ROCKWELL

OF legislation which this General AS
sembly must decide will be the Wa
ter Compacts. One having to do with
the La Plata river and the other the
Colorado river. This compact is in a
sense Treaty between the four So
called upper states, which includes
Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and New
Mexico, and the three lower states
which include Arizona, California,
Nevada. As we are particularly in
terested in the Colorado river, shall
consider the Colorado River Compact
alone. Altho the same arguments
apply to the La Plata River Com
pact, which is also before this Assem-
bly, for ratification. All of the seven
states have ratified the Compact IS
with the exception of Arizona and
Colorado.
Ever since Colorado was a state
she has had to fight in defense Of
her water rights. Every biennial for
years past the Legislature has had to
set aside from thirty to fifty thou
sand dollars year to be used by the
Attorney Generals office in defense
of Colorado's water. Two years ago
the 23rd General Assembly passed a
law authorizing the Governor to ap.
point Commissioner representing
Colorado to meet with similar Com
missioners representing the six other
states using the waters that rise in
the Rocky Mountains, in an endeavor
to stop for all time further litiga-
tion and disputes over water rights.
President Harding appointed Secre.
tary of Commerce, Herbert Hoover,
to represent the Government in car
rying out the investigation in an ef-
fort to arrive at some satisfactory
basis for Treaty or Compact be-
tween these seven states. These sew
en- Commissioners, with Mr.. Hoover,
carried on hearings at various places
thruout the states interested, and
have prepared the two compacts that
are before this Assembly for ratifica-
tion. Should they be ratified further
adjuc alton in defense of Colorado's
waters would be unnecessary, at least
until these Treaties shall terminate.
Since these Commissioners began
their work, two conditions have aris.
en- showing the necessity, from Colo
radios standpoint, of having some
compact such as is proposed. First,
came the decision of the U. s.. SUI
preme Court in the suit between Col
orado and Wyoming. I am told that
the U. S. Supreme Court gave more
time to this case than it did to any
other decision that was ever before
it, including the Dred Scott decision.
This decision was to, the effect that
in case of water disputes, state
boundaries did not count, the prior
use of the waters take precedence.
This would mean, of course, that Col
orado could only control the waters
rising within it's boundaries insofar
as the prior use of those waters was
determined to belong to Colorado
lands.
The second question which showed
the Importance of such treaty as is
proposed, was the evident intention
of Southern California or the U. S.
Reclamation Service building the
Boulder Dam, which will be located
on the boundary between Utah and
Arizona When this dam is built all
of the unappropriated water in the
Colorado river will no doubt be filed
on for its use. 1t is estimated to
hold something over 26,OO0O00 acre
feet Of water. When this dam is
built it is estimated to hold body
of water over 100 miles in LENGTH
The purpose of the Boulder dam is
to stop the submerging of the Imper-
ial Valley during certain seasons of
the year and thru irrigation, the
100000 acres of fertile lands in that
valley may be cared for during the
dry season of the year. 1t further
seems that the building of this dam
would store up enough electricity to-
heat, light and furnish power to the
whole southwest part of the United
States 1t must be remembered that
this part of the country has no coal
and is in great need of heat, light
and power being furnished in this
way.
In addition to this Boulder dam
there are proposed to be built the
Edison Dam, which it is expected
will file on 25,OOO,0OO acre feet of
water. The city of Los Angeles,
which has notified it's intention of
filing on the entire flow of the Col
orado river, and the Durant Company
which has filed on 10000 cubic feet