Colorado Compact

Question 1

What was the compact’s aim?

Answer 1

To divide regions into portions of water supply

Question 2

What are the Helsinki Rules?

Answer 2

1) Equitable use of water so no knock on effects downstream
2) Whoever gets there first gets rights
3) Cannot pollute water for another country

Question 3

What was the aim of the upper basin?

Answer 3

Had no growth so just needed to maintain supply and use

Question 4

Where did each upper basin state stand?

Answer 4

Colorado - 80% get it v. cheap and get profit from selling
Utah have a recreational Lake Powell and water skiers, ecology problems if the water levels drop, cater for Salt Lake City tourists
Wyoming & New Mexico - 80% goes to farming and can get it cheap and sell for profit

Question 5

Where did each lower basin state stand?

Answer 5

California pay more for water and have Silicon valley & high tech engineering to maintain, use water that farming agricultural states waste (Wyoming)

Arizona is a growing city and supply for Phoenix and Tucson, pay more from those wasting and reselling

Nevada supply Las Vegas and contribute to emptyping Ogalalla reservoir and city subsidising

Indigenous groups have by law 5% since 1880 and states are in legal battles against them over territories

Mexico have water and sediment trapped by upstream claims in USA, they secretly benefit from leaking groundwater down from the river into aquifers underground and into Mexico