The Colorado River Storage Project Act

Following the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact of 1948, Upper Basin Project reports were prepared in 1951 and 1952. However, it was not until April 11, 1956, that the Colorado River Storage Project Act became law, 70 Stat. 105. At the time of passage of the Act, Lower Basin development had proceeded more rapidly than had the Upper Basin. Laguna Dam, Hoover Dam, Davis Dam, Parker Dam, Imperial Dam, the Colorado River Aqueduct and the All-American Canal had been constructed in the Lower Basin.

The purpose of the Colorado River Storage Project Act was to develop the water resources of the Upper Basin. It provided a comprehensive multiple-purpose Basin-wide water resource development plan. Section 1 provided for four storage projects for river regulation and power production:

Glen Canyon on the Colorado River in Arizona;
Flaming Gorge on the Green River in Utah;
Navajo on the San Juan River in New Mexico; and
Curecanti on the Gunnison River in Colorado.

It also authorized 11 participating projects for irrigation and related uses and further investigation of other projects.

Section 5 established the Upper Colorado River Basin Fund into which revenues collected in connection with the operation of the storage project and participating projects are to be credited and are to be available for repaying the costs of operation, maintenance, and replacement of, and emergency expenditures for, all facilities of said projects, payment from which for Hoover Dam Powerplant deficiencies pursuant to the Filling Criteria has upset the Upper Basin States.

Section 7 provided that the hydroelectric powerplants and transmission lines authorized by the Act shall be operated in conjunction with other Federal powerplants, present and potential, so as to produce the greatest practicable amount of power and energy that can be sold at firm power and energy rates, but in the exercise of that authority the Secretary shall not affect or interfere with the operation of the provisions of the Colorado River Compact, the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact, the Boulder Canyon Project Act, the Boulder Canyon Project Adjustment Act and any contract lawfully entered into under said Compacts and Acts. This section was relied upon by the Lower Basin States as protecting their power contracts when the Filling Criteria was promulgated on April 12, 1962.

Section 14 required that in the operation and maintenance of all facilities authorized by Federal law in the Colorado River Basin, the Secretary is directed to comply with the Compacts and Acts enumerated in Section 7 and with the Mexican Water Treaty in the storage and release of water from reservoirs in the Basin. It further authorized any Basin State to sue in the Supreme Court to enforce these provisions and consented to the joinder of the United States as a party.

Section 15 directed the Secretary to continue studies and to make a report to the Congress and to the Basin States on the quality of the water of the Colorado River.

The Project Storage Units have several major functions:

1. To regulate streamflows so that water commitments to the Lower Basin can be met in dry periods without curtailment of development of water uses apportioned to the Upper Basin; and
2. To provide hydroelectric power and produce revenues to assist in the payment of the participating projects.