Interstate and International Problems in Respect of the Colorado River Water Delivery

Abstract

The interstate problems in relation to the apportionment of the Colorado River water to the riparian states in the United States are closely combined with the problems of the quality of river water, especially of the salinity.The water of the Colorado River as an interstate stream is subject to the doctrine of equitable apportionment. Under this doctrine, the upper stream state does not have the right to take all the water arising within its borders; the downstream state can not require the delivery of all the natural flow of the stream. The Colorado River Compact of 1922 and the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact of 1948 allocate the consumptive use of river water to the lower basin states and the upper basin states, and to each state, respectively.An inescapable consequence of beneficial consumptive use of water in the semi-arid region is the degradation of quality by the increase of dissolved solid content in water. Accordingly, the development of water use in the upper basin increases the salinity into the lower basin, and increasing the salinity impacts on the downstream users. On the other hand, when increasing water use is interdicted in the upper basin to keep water clean in the lower basin, the upper states have to stop their development projects with more water use.There are similar problems proposed between the United States and Mexico. In addition to the increase of water use of the Colorado River within the United States, the operation of the Wellton-Mohauk Project results in the salinity increase of river water, which brings heavy damage to the users in Mexico.Inextricably, water and land are finite bound together by the law of nature, not to be countermanded by the political boundaries of man. Therefore, it is neccesary to develop the institutions which will focus on the best use of natural resources, rather than on artificial political boundaries that often are the products of historical accident.The above problems of the water quality in relation to the Colorado River water delivery should be solved by redesigning to manage the river water resources on a regional basis, rather than on a fragmental state basis or a national basis.Old habits of nationalism and sectionalism should be replaced with new geographic concepts embodying optimal utilization of shared resources. The new concepts may include the consideration of regional system which makes up an equilibrium between the regional pattern of water use as a part of human activity and regional distribution of water resources, with a steadfast perspective on the economic development subject to the law of nature in the river basin.