The Colorado River Compact

The Colorado River Compact, signed in 1922, is an agreement that allocates water from the Colorado River among seven U.S. states and Mexico. It divided the river's flow into two basins: the Upper Basin (Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico) and the Lower Basin (Arizona, California, Nevada). Each basin was allotted a specific share of the water, based on estimated annual flow. The Compact aimed to manage water rights fairly amid increasing demand, ensuring coordinated use of a limited resource. However, it was based on flows higher than average, leading to ongoing water management challenges today.