"is that stealing? They're draining the Colorado."
Stealing from whom? People (of all faiths or none) are draining the Colorado from seven States.
"The Colorado River
LeRoy W. Hooton, Jr.
August 27, 1999
Introduction
The Grand Valley diversion on the Colorado River, about 10 miles east of Grand Junction, CO.
The Colorado River headwaters arise just west of the Continental Divide in Grand County, Colorado, and begin a 1,450-mile journey to the Republic of Mexico finding its outlet at the mouth of the Gulf of California and its inlet to the Pacific Ocean. The river flows through seven states, making it the longest river west of the Rocky Mountains. Its historic flows cut the "Grand Canyon" in Arizona creating one of the truly greater wonders of the world. The total drainage is about the size of France, amounting to 242,000 square miles in the United States and additionally 2,000 square miles in Mexico. The waters of the Colorado are shared by seven western states of Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona and California. All of these states are arid, and the Colorado River waters are coveted. The river has been described as the most over- appropriated in the United States.
Major John Wesley Powell first explored the Colorado River in 1869. He and nine others in four boats traveled almost 1,000 miles down the Colorado River through uncharted canyons. The expedition began on May 24 on the Green River at the Green River Station, Wyoming and ended in the Grand Canyon on August 29 at the mouth of the Virgin River. After the adventure, Powell hit the lecture circuit raising funds for a second expedition in 1871 that produced a detailed map and scientific publications on the Colorado River. He would later have a career with the federal government, first as director of the U.S. Geological survey and then with the Smithsonian's Bureau of Ethnology until his death in 1902.
As pressure grew to settle the West and promote family farms, as early as 1878 Powell urged Congress to adopt federal reclamation as a means to enable western homesteaders to settle the land. Under Powell's direction, the Geological Survey conducted surveys, marked off potential dam and reservoir sites, and mapped proposed canals and ditches to irrigate the arid West. Powell is considered the father of federal reclamation as a means of strengthening the family farm and settling the West.
The Colorado River is the most significant water feature of the western United States, affecting cities, agriculture, and electrical power for the states and Indian tribes holding water rights in the river. Today the Colorado River serves nearly 25 million people and irrigates more than 1.8 million acres of land, producing 15 percent of the nation's crops and 13 percent of its livestock. The river produces more than $1.5 billion a year in agricultural benefits. Furthermore, the river provides 4,000 megawatts of hydroelectric generating capacity and 20 million annual visitor-days of outdoor recreation.
Hoover Dam near Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Colorado River is controlled by a series of dams built by the Bureau of Reclamation. Most notable is the Hoover Dam near Las Vegas, forming Lake Mead.
Within the State of Utah the Green River is a major tributary of the Colorado River, joining it southwest of Moab, Utah. Flaming Gorge Dam in northeastern Utah controls the flows of the Green River within Utah. Glen Canyon Dam, located south of the Utah-Arizona border, forms Lake Powell. These dams and resulting lakes are popular recreation areas within the state. Over 3 million visitors a year recreate on Lake Powell and its water-filled canyons.
Colorado River Compact
Water from the Colorado River was first diverted during the late 1800s through a canal constructed through Mexico to California's Imperial Valley. Mexico allowed the canal in exchange for a portion of the water. The Imperial Valley farmers wanted a canal that was within the United States, and in order to accomplish this, enlisted the aid of the federal government. The other six basin states did not want California to build the canal unless their future rights to the Colorado River were protected. This led to the 1922 Colorado River Compact and construction of the "All American Canal" to the Imperial Valley.
The waters were divided in perpetuity among the seven states and American Indian tribes in 1922 under the Colorado River Compact. Under the Compact, the Colorado River was divided into the Upper and Lower Basins. Each basin was allocated 7.5 million acre-feet of water annually. Furthermore, under a 1944 treaty, Mexico was guaranteed 1.5 million acre-feet annually, for a total of 16.5 million acre-feet annually as measured at Lee's Ferry. Evaporation from reservoirs reduces the total flow by an additional 2 million acre-feet annually. Since the annual flow has only averaged 14 million acre-feet since 1930, there is a shortfall in the amount of water available to meet the total demands on the river.
Water disputes and growing thirst
The waters of the Colorado have long been the source of conflict between the various states. The 1922 Compact contemplated settling the issue of allocation of the waters. Historically California and Arizona have been the chief antagonists fighting over the allocation of water to the Lower Basin states. In 1924 Los Angeles applied to divert 1.1 million acre-feet annually from the Colorado River. Los Angeles and other southern California cities formed the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) to build an aqueduct and serve as a water wholesaler for the area. In 1944, Arizona ratified the Colorado River Compact and began making plans to use its allocation of water. Disputes between Arizona and California led to Arizona filing a suit in the U.S. Supreme Court, entitled Arizona v. California in 1952. The court ruled in 1963 that California's water allocation of the mainstem of the Colorado River was 4.4 million acre-feet instead of 5.3 million acre-feet its users had contracted for. California was also awarded 50 percent of the surplus water. Arizona's allocation was set at 2.8 million acre-feet and 46 percent of the surplus and Nevada's 300,000 acre-feet and 4 percent of the surplus. In 1990, for the first time the Lower Basin states of California, Nevada and Arizona fully consumed their allocation of 7.5 million acre-feet of the mainstem of the Colorado River.
The U.S. Supreme Court established American Indian Rights earlier in 1909 in the Winters v. United States decision. The Court held that the Indians reserved water rights existed whether the tribes were using the water or not. This decision was reaffirmed in Arizona v. California when the Court awarded water rights to five Indian reservations in the Lower Basin.
As the Lower Basin grows, the waters of the Colorado continue to be critical. Expanding populations in southern California and southern Nevada have created additional demands on the Lower Basin allocation. There is growing pressure to conserve water and transfer agricultural irrigation water for municipal use. Currently about 85 percent of California's Colorado River allocation is used for irrigation purposes. In 1989, the MWD and the Imperial Irrigation District (IID) entered into an agreement whereby MWD pays $200 million for water conservation in IID in exchange for 106,000 acre-feet of water annually for 35 years. Thus far MWD has spent over $121 million dollars in conservation measures, saving approximately 73,000 acre-feet of water annually.
In an effort to pair back its use of Colorado River water, the MWD has also invested in water conservation. Mr. Jay Malonowski reported to the 1998 Colorado River Water Users Association at their annual meeting that municipal water usage had decreased 39 percent from 2.8 million acre-feet in 1990 to 1.7 million acre-feet in 1998, while the population served by the water wholesaler increased by 400,000 people per year.
Booming Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada are the fastest growing areas in the nation. The population of Clark County increases by 200 residents every day. It is estimated that Las Vegas will fully use its 300,000 acre-foot allocation by the year 2015, and is now aggressively seeking additional water supplies. Pat Mulroy, Manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, is quoted in the "Western Water" as saying, "Nevada will not go away. There has to be a water solution for southern Nevada." Other than more water from the Colorado River, there does not appear to be another solution at hand. Ground water development within Nevada or tapping the Virgin River are problematic and may not be viable solutions to the area's water supply needs..." |
