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Show 30 THE BOULDER CANYON PROJECT sion of Remarks of Congressman Hayden, January 30, 1923, is given in Appendix C. The figures given in Table I have been accepted as being reasonably indicative of the amount of water that may be counted on. The water actually physically present in the Lower Basin must meet four demands-water uses in 1-Arizona. 2-California. 3-Nevada. 4-Mexico. Any water passing Lee Perry, under the terms of the pact, in excess of 7,500,000 acre-feet per year, must be used to satisfy the Mexican demand before the Upper Basin can be called on to meet a further obligation. Under the terms of the pact the Lower Basin is allowed the use of 8,500,000 acre-feet out of all the water in the Lower Basin system. As there is approximately 3,000,000 acre-feet of water in the Lower Basin system more than this allowed use, it is inconceivable that the Upper Basin could ever be called on to supply any deficiency, hence this assumption that the Lower Basin must meet all of the Mexican demands. There is no treaty between the United States and Mexico affecting the use of water of the Colorado River. There is an agreement or contract between the owners of the canal in Mexico and the Mexican Government which permits Mexican lands to take one-half of the water flowing in the canal. Water used in Mexico from the canal system during the last few years has represented a diversion from the Colorado River of approximately 750,000 acre-feet annually. Under the terms of the Boulder Canyon Project Act not over 4,400,000 acre-feet of III (a) water may be used by California each year. The use of water in Nevada from the Colorado River system is limited by nature. The water is only available at the bottom of deep canyons and the agricultural lands that it is practical to water from these deep canyons is limited by the topography. It has been generally conceded that Nevada could never use more than 300,000 acre-feet and probably such use would never exceed 200,000 acre-feet. Arizona would naturally receive, after deducting 4,400,000 acre-feet for California and the 300,000 acre-feet for Nevada, the balance of the 7,500,000 acre-feet or 2,800,000 acre-feet. Careful study of the Boulder Canyon Project Act is necessary in order to determine the status of the extra 1,000,000 acre-feet that the Lower Basin is allowed to use each year under the compact (Article The Act lays down only one definite limitation on water and that condition is briefly as given above, i. e. California to restrict her use to 4,400,000 acre-feet of water apportioned by Article III, paragraph (a) of the Colorado River Compact, plus one-half of the excess or surplus waters unapportioned. The Act also outlines a suggested possible Tri-State compact between Arizona, California and Nevada (this suggested compact is not binding |
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Original book: [State of Arizona, complainant v. State of California, Palo Verde Irrigation District, Coachella Valley County Water District, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, City of Los Angeles, California, City of San Diego, California, and County of San Diego, California, defendants, United States of America, State of Nevada, State of New Mexico, State of Utah, interveners] : |