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Show XVIII Thare are within the natural basin of the Colorado River System in Arizona certain Indians and Indian tribes. Article VII of the Compact provides that it shall not be construed as affecting the obligations of the United States to Indian tribes. Vtt-i. e • /-no-controversy whtch-rei-ates-to-the-ttae-of the-waters-of-the hhl h XIX Arizona is an arid state. Irrigation is essential to its successful agriculture, and much water is needed for domestic, municipal and industrial purposes. Precipitation is insufficient to satisfy the need for water. Arizona has no substantial source of water except the Colorado River System. There-are-in-Arieone in excess of- -?£-5-,-0<K)-aeres- -oi 4and-presently -irrigated -with-attrface-and-under-ground-water-which- need additional--and-a tipplemental water-in-order-to-aHatain their pr^tKrthfi*yr--6rK^additlonal-aTjd-aiippleraentei-water-can-be-obtained-only from the-main-streom-of-fche-Oolorado Rlverr In 1952 there were In the Central Arizona area in excess of 900,000 acres of land irrigated with surface and underground water. By 1955 this acreage had been reduced approximately 100,000 acres due to the insufficiency of local water supplies. The underground water supply, tapped by wells for irrigation of a substantial portion of said acreage, is grievously depleted because the draft thereon is greatly in excess of the recharge. As a result the well depths are increasing and the well discharges are decreasing. Because of such diminution of the underground water supply there is now available in Central Arizona water sufficient to irrigate and cultivate approximately not more than 500 ,000 acres of land only. In order to avoid a further reduction of approximately 300,000 acres of cultivated land, Arizona desperately-needs- must have additional water from the main stream of the Colorado River. Without such additional water, apprwximeteiy-3-]r%-oic--th«--?-2-5-,-tH>0-aeres-of 4and-preserttly--ctilfrl^ra-ted-wH4-go-otrt-of-eiilt-lvaM<m the economy of the state will be seriously impaired. -Agrtetik-«ral--prodaeHorrwill-be-red«ced-to--e-dangero«s- yy in--large-measure-.-The- -only-source-of- -water -to- prevent-siieh-a- -catastrophe- is the--main-stream-«*-the-Colorado--River-. XX At the request of Arizona, the United States Bureau of Reclamation has investigated a project to bring water to Central Arizona from the main stream of the Colorado River. Such project is known as the Central Arizona Project-r^ Plans plans for sueh-project which are substantially as set out in House Document 136, 81st Congress. During the 79th and succeeding Congresses Arizona has endeavored to obtain Congressional authorization for the construction of the Central Arizona Project by the Bureau of Reclamation. The defendants have vigorously resisted such legislation upon the ground, among others, that there is no water from the Colorado River System available for consumptive- use in Arizona in addition to the quantities of such water now used. Bills to authorize the Central Arizona Project were passed by the United States Senate in the 81st and 82nd Congresses but failed of passage in the House of Representatives. On April 18, 1951 the House of Representatives Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs adopted a resolution that consideration of the bills relating to the Central Arizona Project "be postponed until such time as use of the water in the lower Colorado River Basin is either adjudicated or binding or mutual 12 |
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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] : |