AZ vs. CA:12 California Exhibits, Vol. XII; Nos. 1350-1383; 1400-1446; 1501-1518; 1601-1603; 1701-1703

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-7- tives to confer and draw a compact, the purpose of which was to divide the waters of the Colorado River among the seven states of the Basin. These representatives met in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the fall of 1922. Mr. Herbert Hoover was appointed to act for the Federal government. The conference drew up a Seven States Compact, very often referred to as the "Santa Fe Compact." They did not divide the waters of the River among the seven states, but instead fixed two basins as described above, namely, the Upper and Lower Basin, and allocated a certain amount of water to the Upper Basin and a certain amount to the Lower Basin. The reason for this compact grew out of the desire of some of the Upper Basin States to protect their future requirements for water. Remember, the "prior appropriation of water doctrine" was in full force in the seven states of the River Basin. Under such a doctrine, any states taking water from the river and applying it to a beneficial use, acquired a prior right thereto, which was superior to the right of a subsequent appropriator, whether in the same or in another state. California for years had been advocating the building of a large storage dam on the Colorado River and a canal, all of which should be on American soil. This canal was to be of large enough capacity to carry waters for the irrigation of lands of the Imperial and Coachella Valleys. In these valleys at the present time, are large tracts of dry land, which could be irrigated if water were available. All the Basin States knew if this dam and canal were built, a large part of the river flowing in the Lower Basin would be applied to lands of the California valleys, with the result that California would thereby secure by prior appropriation a vested right to a large amount of the river water and