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Show LAST LEGISLATIVE FIGHT 279 "Notwithstanding the limitation the defendants have made contracts for the delivery to them of 5,362,000 acre-feet annually of Colorado River water, have caused the construction of works of a capacity to divert more than 8,000,000 acre-feet annually, and are currently diverting water from the river at a rate which will result in the diversion from the Colorado River of a quantity of water greatly in excess of 4,400,000 acre-feet in 1952. In spite of the fact that it has no firm right to more than 4,400,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water an- nually, California asserts the right to take and threatens to take and use quantities of water greatly in excess of that amount to the injury and damage of Arizona. "California and the water users of that state are now diverting and using water from the Colorado River in quantities greatly in excess of the 4,400,000 acre-feet per annum to which it is limited by the Boulder Canyon Project Act and by the California Limitation Act. Ari- zona has definite projects for the use of its share of Colo- rado River water which it is not presently using and in furtherance thereof has initiated appropriation of water for such projects in accordance with the statutes of Ari- zona. "For nearly thirty years there has been a fruitless effort to determine the controversy by compact. Because of such failure of compact negotiations, Arizona and California must look to this Court for a decision which will define their respective rights. The prosperity and welfare of a large and important area of our Union are involved." The words had a familiar ring. Indeed, they were in part almost exact echoes of statements which had come from California spokesmen in three Congresses. |