Colorado Water Congress Newsletter

Document: Colorado Water Congress Newsletter, June 25, 1963, page 6-6- for Bureau of Reclamation cooperative investigations. This led to attempts, beginning in 1947, to obtain congressional authorization of the billion dollar Central Arizona Project. The project bill passed the Senate twice. but couldn't get by the House. Southern California congressmen insisted that the project's proposed 1.2 million acre foot annual diversion would be an invasion of California's water rights and that Arizona first had to clear title to the water. Californians stated that litigation should lead to a settlement in one or two years. In 1951. House Interior Committee deterred action on the Central Arizona Project, until the water rights issue could be settled by arbitration, negotiation or litigation. Litigation was Arizona's only hope. Arizona embarked. with some misgivings, on the biggest water lawsuit of all time. In 1952, she brought suit against the State of California and six Southern California water agencies in the U.S. Supreme Court, to quiet title to 1.2 million acre feet of Colorado River water. She assigned trial responsibility to the Arizona Interstate Stream Commission. Arizona Interstate Stream Commission: "This suit is not of our choosing. We were forced into it. Our sole and remaining hope is the Supreme Court of the United States. Before that Court, neither wealth nor political power can prevail. In that Court all are equal--the rich and the poor-the mighty and the meek alike receive justice from that Court...After a quarter of a century the question is to be resolved. Because we know we are right, we must prevail."Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 1,839,500 byte