Click here to read article about the legal history of operations at Glen Canyon Dam.

Prior Appropriation Doctrine

1908 - Winters Doctrine

1922 - The Colorado River Compact & Minutes of meetings

1928 - The Boulder Canyon Project Act

1929 - California Limitation Act

1931 - California Seven Party Agreement

1973 - Minute 242 of the U.S.-Mexico International Boundary and Water Commission

1948 - Upper Basin Compact

1956 - Colorado River Storage Project Act

1963 & 1964 - Arizona v. California

1979 - Supplemental Decree

2006 - Consolidated Decree

1970 - Operating Criteria for Colorado System Reservoirs

2001 - Interim Surplus Guidelines

2003 - Colorado River Water Delivery Agreement (QSA)

2005 - Amended Operating Criteria

2006 - Federal Register: implement interim guidelines for shortage criteria

1974 - Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Act

1992 - Grand Canyon Protection Act

Additional information:

Bureau of Reclamation: Lower Colorado document archive

1902 - Reclamation Act

1933 - Hoover Dam Documents (Part One)

1939 - Reclamation Act

1946 - Light on the Mexican Water Treaty

1948 - Hoover Dam Documents (Part Two)

1965 - Statement of attorney Northcutt Ely regarding Arizona v California

1970 - National Environmental Policy Act

1970 - Clean Air Act

1972 - Clean Water Act

1973 - Endangered Species Act

1974 - Legal-political history of water resource development in the upper Colorado River basin. Lake Powell Research Project Bulletin #4.

1978 - The Hoover Dam Documents (Part Three)

1982 - Reclamation Reform Act

2007 - Revisiting the Colorado River Compact: Time for a change? Adler.

2007 - Colorado and Western Water Law. Greb Hobbs.

2008 - 43 CFR Part 417 does not authorize federal agency adjucication of IID beneficial use of Colorado River. Osias & Hicks.