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The History and Legacy of the Colorado River Storage Project

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The following is a guest post by Josh Primus, an intern with the Digital Resources Division of the Law Library of Congress. He is a graduate student studying Library and Information Science remotely from Denver, CO at the University of Indiana – Indianapolis.

In the desert climate of the American Southwest, the need to manage and distribute water fairly is of pivotal importance. Over the past century, population growth has made these efforts more crucial. The Colorado River Storage Project (CRSP) is a definitive governmental project for water management in the American West; the legislation and implementation of the project have many legal and environmental aspects. Millions of people in seven states benefit greatly from the 30.6 million acre-feet of water storage capacity established by CRSP dams and reservoirs. This blog post will give a brief overview of the historical context, a legislative overview, environmental impact, influence on water rights, and ongoing significance of the CRSP.

The Colorado River Compact of 1922 laid the groundwork for an agreement among Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming regarding the use of water from the Colorado River. (42 Stat.171.) Each state was granted an “equitable division and apportionment” of the water and was required to appoint a representative for negotiations.

The Colorado River basin showing the upper and lower basins. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Dept of the Interior. 2006. Prints and Photographs Division. //hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.17709

The Colorado River Storage Project Act was passed in 1956. (70 Stat. 105.) The project permitted the construction of several reservoirs and dams, such as the Glen Canyon Dam, to store water and generate hydroelectric power. Comprehensive water management in the Colorado River Basin was made possible by the CRSP. The act’s main features included building storage facilities and establishing regulations for water distribution.

Since its inception, the project has been amended multiple times to incorporate new projects. Laws enacted in 1962 (Public Law No. 87-483), 1964 (Public Law No. 88-568), and 1968 (Public Law No. 90-537) added multiple sites to the list of projects. Congress.gov records a wide selection of bills covering proposed amendments to the CRSP, including prohibiting federal officials from “undertaking reconnaissance studies of any plan for the importation of water into the Colorado River Basin from any other natural watershed outside of specified States” and salinity control over the stored water.

The CRSP has also had an impact on the environment. While providing vital energy and water supplies, the construction of dams has also affected native species and altered river ecosystems, most notably the Glen Canyon Dam, which began filling in 1963 and completed in 1980. Many canyons have been flooded since its construction, submerging archaeological sites, flora, and fauna.

The CRSP has had a significant influence on the development of water rights in the area. The intricacy of managing shared water resources is highlighted by legal conflicts over water allocation, such as the Arizona v. California cases:

These cases and their decisions concerned disputes between Arizona and California over water rights, mainly over claims that California had been using more water than was allocated to it.

In both legal and water management history, the Colorado River Storage Project represents a significant milestone. Its continuing importance is highlighted by the way it affects environmental policy, water rights, and regional development. Future efforts to manage water resources will greatly benefit from the lessons acquired from the CRSP.

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