ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-fifth Legislature

First Regular Session

House: NREW DP 9-1-0-0 | 3rd Read 43-17-0-0

Senate: NREW DP 5-4-0-0 | 3rd Read 16-12-2-0

HCM 2003: Colorado river; urging augmentation

Sponsor:  Representative Griffin, LD 14

Transmitted to the Governor

Overview

Urges the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior to immediately take all necessary measures to provide for Colorado River augmentation and conservation.

History

The Colorado River Basin covers more than 246,000 square miles in seven U.S. states (Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and California) and Mexico. Its waters have been allocated by over a century of federal law, compacts, contracts, agreements, court decisions and decrees, treaties and other regulatory documents which are collectively known as the "Law of the River." Although the "Law of the River" annually allocates 16.5 million acre-feet of the river's waters, its natural flows have often fallen short of this allocation and a basin-wide drought since 2000 has further stretched available supplies. In fact, the river's natural flows have averaged about 12.4 million acre-feet annually between 2000 and 2018.

In the United States, the Bureau of Reclamation—which is within the Department of Interior—primarily manages and operates the river, including various reservoirs that store and release waters to generate hydro-electric power, control flooding and deliver water. The Bureau of Reclamation carries out the Secretary of Interior's role as the water master for the Lower Basin states (Arizona, California and Nevada) by contracting with entities in this region to deliver water.

Provisions

1.   ☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal NoteUrges the Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior to immediately take all necessary measures to fulfill its obligations to provide for Colorado River water augmentation and conservation.

2.   Directs the Arizona Secretary of State to transmit copies of this memorial to the following officials:

a)   The President of the United States;

b)   The Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior;

c)   The President of the U.S. Senate;

d)   The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives; and

e)   Each Member of Congress from Arizona.

f)  

g)    

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i)                           HCM 2003

j)   Initials PAB/AG           Page 0 Transmitted

k)    

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