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Overview
Documents that provide an overview
Kwon & Gimbel
Law Journal Articles
Key Laws
Key Court Rulings
Compacts
Treaties and Minutes
Contracts
EIS
ROD
BO


== Overview ==


== 1928 Boulder Canyon Project Act (45 Stat. 1057) ==  
== 1928 Boulder Canyon Project Act (45 Stat. 1057) ==  
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Nathanson’s Chapter I provides many details on the Act (link). Many documents relating to water and power contracts signed can be found in Reclamation’s compilations of Law of the River documents.  These include Hoover Dam Documents 1933 (link), Hoover Dam Documents 1948 (text) Updating Hoover Dam Documents in 1978 (text), 2008 Colorado River Documents (text). The original act was modified in 1940 by the Boulder Canyon Adjustment Act (text) which modified the power rate structure agreed to in the original power contracts.
Nathanson’s Chapter I provides many details on the Act (link). Many documents relating to water and power contracts signed can be found in Reclamation’s compilations of Law of the River documents.  These include Hoover Dam Documents 1933 (link), Hoover Dam Documents 1948 (text) Updating Hoover Dam Documents in 1978 (text), 2008 Colorado River Documents (text). The original act was modified in 1940 by the Boulder Canyon Adjustment Act (text) which modified the power rate structure agreed to in the original power contracts.


Los Angeles Times writer Michael Hiltzik covered the construction and history of Hoover Dam in his 2010 book, Colossus [[https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Colossus/Michael-Hiltzik/9781416532170  link]]
Pulitzer Prize winning Los Angeles Times writer Michael Hiltzik covered the construction and history of Hoover Dam in his 2010 book, Colossus [[https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Colossus/Michael-Hiltzik/9781416532170  link]]




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[[media:UHDDocs_1978_Appendix 1 the Mexican Water Treaty.pdf]]
[[media:UHDDocs_1978_Appendix 1 the Mexican Water Treaty.pdf]]


Chapter XIV in HDD 1948 is devoted to the Mexican Water Treaty
[[media:HDDocs_1948_Chapter_XIV_The_Mexican_Water_Treaty.pdf]]
[[media:HDDocs_1948_Chapter_XIV_The_Mexican_Water_Treaty.pdf]]




== 1948 Upper Colorado River Basin Compact ==
== 1948 Upper Colorado River Basin Compact (text)==
 


== 1956 Colorado River Storage Project Act (link) ==
== 1956 Colorado River Storage Project Act (link) ==


== 1963 Supreme Court Opinion on Arizona v. California ==
== 1963 Supreme Court Opinion on Arizona v. California ==
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== 2019 Drought Contingency Plan ==
== 2019 Drought Contingency Plan ==


== Additional Resources ==




 
Reclamation's Law of the River Page
 
Imperial Irrigation District's Law of the River Page
 
Colorado Water Center Law of the River Document
Important Law Review Articles





Revision as of 12:51, 30 May 2022

Placeholder for Law of the River


Overview

1928 Boulder Canyon Project Act (45 Stat. 1057)

The Boulder Canyon Project Act (text) was enacted to control floods, improve navigation, regulate flows, store and deliver water for the reclamation of lands, and to generate electricity. It funded and approved the construction of Hoover Dam and the All-American Canal contingent on the approval of the Colorado River Compact. Given Arizona’s refusal to ratify the Compact because of disputes over the Gila River and its desired allocation, the act allowed for approval if 6 states, including California, ratified the compact provided that California limited itself to 4.4 maf /year of Colorado River water. The act reserved for Arizona complete use of its tributaries. In 1963, the US Supreme Court in Arizona v. California (below) found that Congress via the act had apportioned the flow of the Colorado River among California, Nevada and Arizona.

Nathanson’s Chapter I provides many details on the Act (link). Many documents relating to water and power contracts signed can be found in Reclamation’s compilations of Law of the River documents. These include Hoover Dam Documents 1933 (link), Hoover Dam Documents 1948 (text) Updating Hoover Dam Documents in 1978 (text), 2008 Colorado River Documents (text). The original act was modified in 1940 by the Boulder Canyon Adjustment Act (text) which modified the power rate structure agreed to in the original power contracts.

Pulitzer Prize winning Los Angeles Times writer Michael Hiltzik covered the construction and history of Hoover Dam in his 2010 book, Colossus [link]


1931 California Seven Party Agreement Text

The Secretary of the Interior requested California internally agree on the priorities of Colorado River water users before issuing water contracts. In 1931 the parties provided this agreement. The first three priorities totaled 3.85 maf/year of water for agricultural uses in the Palo Verde Irrigation District, the Yuma Project (Reservation Division), and the Imperial and Coachella Valley irrigation districts. The 4th priority was 550 kaf/year for the Metropolitan Water District. These first four priorities totalled 4.4 maf/year. Three additional priorities to Metropolitan, San Diego, Imperial, Coachella and Palo Verde added another 962 kaf/year in use for a total of 5.362 maf/year. Due to ambiguities in the original agreement, in 200x, the parties agreed to modifications (link).

media:UHDD_1978_Snips_California_Seven_Party_Agreement.pdf


1944 Treaty with Mexico (link)

media:UHDDocs_1978_Appendix 1 the Mexican Water Treaty.pdf

Chapter XIV in HDD 1948 is devoted to the Mexican Water Treaty media:HDDocs_1948_Chapter_XIV_The_Mexican_Water_Treaty.pdf


1948 Upper Colorado River Basin Compact (text)

1956 Colorado River Storage Project Act (link)

1963 Supreme Court Opinion on Arizona v. California

1968 Colorado River Basin Project Act

== 1970 Long Range Operating Criteria (i.e. Section 602(a) of 1968 Act)

2003 Interim Surplus Criteria

2007 Interim Guidelines

200x Navajo Dam EIS and ROD

200x Flaming Gorge Dam and ROD

2019 Drought Contingency Plan

Additional Resources

Reclamation's Law of the River Page Imperial Irrigation District's Law of the River Page Colorado Water Center Law of the River Document Important Law Review Articles