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Show Colorado River Litigation Arizona v. California 283 U.S. 423 (1931) Hearing upon motions to dismiss a bill for an injunction, which was filed in this Court by the 'State of Arizona. The parties defendant were Kay Lyman Wilbur, Secretary of the Interior, and the States of Cali- fornia, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. Mr. Justice Branded delivered the opinion of the court. The Boulder Canyon Project Act, December 21,1928, c. 42, 45 Stat. 1057, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, at the expense of the United States, to construct at Black Canyon on the Colorado River, a dam, a storage reservoir, and a hydroelectric plant; provides for their control, management, and operation by the United States; and declares that the authority is conferred "subject to the terms of the Colorado River compact," "for the purpose of controlling the floods, improving navigation and regulating the flow of the Colorado River, providing for storage and for the delivery of the stored waters thereof for recla- mation of public lands and other beneficial uses exclusively within the United States, and for the generation of electrical energy as a means of making the project herein authorized a self-supporting and financially solvent undertaking." The Colorado River Compact is an agreement for the apportion- ment of the water of the river and its tributaries. After several years of preliminary informal discussions, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California-the seven States through which the river system extends-appointed commissioners in 1921 to formulate an agreement; and Congress, upon request, gave its assent, and authorized the appointment of a representative to act for the United States. Act of August 19,1921, c. 72, 42 Stat. 171. On Novem- ber 24,1922, these commissioners and the federal representative, signed an agreement to become effective when ratified by Congress and the legislatures of all these States. The Boulder Canyon Project Act ap- proved this agreement subject to certain limitations and conditions, the approval to become effective upon the ratification of the compact, as so modified, by the legislatures of California and at least five of the six other States. The legislatures of all these States except Arizona ratified the modified compact and the Act was accordingly declared to be in effect. Proclamation of June 25,1929, [46 Stat. 30001. On October 13, 1930, Arizona filed this original bill of complaint against Ray Lyman Wilbur, Secretary of the Interior, and the States of California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. It charges that Wilbur is proceeding in violation of the laws of Arizona to invade its quasi-sovereign rights by building at Black 531 |
