THE SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS THE BOULDER CANYON PROJECT OF 1928

The United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of Arizona in a lawsuit filed by Arizona against California that disputed the claims to Colorado River waters in the Lower Basin. The decision determined Arizona’s Colorado River annual basic apportionment to be 2.8 million acre-feet, California's to be 4.4 million acre-feet and Nevada's to be 300,000 acre-feet. The decision allowed each state the exclusive use of its respective tributary water, a key reason Arizona did not initially ratify the Colorado River Compact. The decision also secured the water rights for Indian Reservations and other federal lands. Finally, the decision established the Secretary of the Interior as the Water Master of the Colorado River below Lee Ferry and granted the Secretary discretion, with some limitations, to determine how much water each state in the Lower Basin should receive during times of shortage.