The Coconino sun., 1923-08-31
Colorado Riuer
Compact inFuH

The states of Arizona, California,
Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah
and Wyoming having resolved to en-
fer into compact under the act of
the congress of the United States of
America, approved August 19, 1922,
142 Statutes at Large, page 121, and
the acts of the legislatures OF the saidI
states, have through their governors
appointed as their commissioners:
w. S. Norviel for the state of Ari-
zona; w. F. Mcclure, California;
Dolph e. Carpenter for Colorado, J.
G. Scrughman for Nevada, Stephen Il.
Davis, Jr for New Mexico, K. +. Cald-
well for Utah, FRANC c. Emerson for
Wyoming, who, after negotiations
participated in by Herbert Hoover,
appointed by the president as the rep
resentative of the United States OF
America, have agreed upon the fol-
lowing articles:
Article I. - The major purposes
of this compact are to provide for the
equitable division and apportionment
of the use of the waters of the Colo
rado system; to establish the relative
Importance cf different beneficial uses
of water; to promote interstate COM
ity; to remove causes or questions ana
future controversies, and to secure the
expeditions agricultural and industrial
development of the Colorado river ba-
sin, the storage of its waters and the
protection of life and property from
floods. To these ends the Colorado
river basin is divided into two basins
and an apportionment Of the use of
uart of the water of the Colorado riv-
er system is made to each of them
with the provision that further equit-
able apportionments may be made.
ARTICLE II.-As used in this COM
pact:
(a) The term "Colorado River sys-
tenn means that portion of the Col
orado river and its tributaries within
the United States of America.
OBJ The term Colorado river bas-
i'm means all of the drainage area of
the Colorado river system and all 9TH
er territory within the United States
of America to which the waters of the
Colorado system shall be beneficlally
applied.
lc) The term "States of the Up
per Division" means the states of Cei-
orado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyom-
ing.
(d) The term Estates of the Low
er Division" means the states of Arl-
zona, California and Nevada.
(e) The term "Lee ferry" means
a point in the main stream of the Col
orado river one mile below the mouth
of the Paria river.
(f) The term Upper Basin" means
those parts of the states of Arizona,
Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wy
oming within and from which waters
naturally drain into the Colorado sys-
tenn above Lee Ferry, and also all
parts of said states located without
drainage area of the Colorado river
system which are now or shall here
after be beneficially served by waters
diverted from the system above Lee
Ferry.
(g) The term Lower Basin"
means those parts of the states OF
Arizona, California, Nevada, New
Mexico and Utah within and from
which waters naturally drain into the
Colorado river system below Lee Fer
ry, and also all parts Of said states
located without the drainage area Of
the Colorado river system which are
now or shall hereafter be beneficially
served by waters diverted from the
system below Lee Ferry.
(h) The term domestic use' shall
include the use of water for household,
stock, municipal, mining, milling, in
dustrial and other like purposes, but
shall exclude the generation Of cleo
trical power.
ARTICLE III.-(a) There is hereby
apportioned from the Colorado river
system in perpetuity to the Upper
Basin and to the Lower Basin re-
spectively the exclusive beneficial
consumptive use Of 100000 acre feet
of water per annum, which shall in
clude all water necessary for the sup
ply Of any rights which may now
exist.
(b) In addition to the apportion-
ment in paragraph (a), the Lower Ba-
sin is hereby given the right to in
crease its beneficial consumptive use
of such waters by one million acre feet
per annuna.
(c1 If, as matter Of international
comfy, the United States of America
shall hereafter recognize in the United
States of Mexico any right to the use
of any waters of the Colorado river
SNSLeln, SuCIl WdLGI5 SAIdll JIG OupPiACN
first from the waters which are sur
plus over and above the aggregate Of
the quantities specified in paragraphs
(a) and (b); and if such surplus shall
prove insufficient for this purpose
then, the burden of such deficienc.
shall be equally borne by the Upper
Basin and the Lower Basin, and when
ever necessary the state of the Uppel
Division shall deliver at Lee Ferr,
water to supply one-half of the defic
iency so recognized in addition to tina
provided in paragraph Id
(d) The states of the Upper Div
ision will not cause the flow of tn
river at Lee Ferry to be depleted be
low an aggregate of 75,O0O,0O0 sacr
feet for any period of ten consecutive
years reckoned in continuing progress
sive series beginning with the frs
day of October next succeeding tn
ratification of this compact.