The Colorado River Case Study

Question 1

What is the Colorado river?

Answer 1

The basin of the Colorado river is the most heavily used source or irrigation water in the USA.

Question 2

What is the Colorado Compact 1922?

Answer 2

Colorado Compact 1922, allocated the water rights between the seven different states.
Under this, the ‘Law of the River’ divided the river into the Upper and Lower Basin with the Upper having responsibility to supply the Lower Basin states.
Initial agreements awarded California the largest proportion of water because of its large population and political power. This has been reduced by new developments and legal changes.

Question 3

Giant plumbing system!?

Answer 3

Now there is a ‘giant plumbing system’, with more than 10 major dams to give water to over 30 million people

Question 4

List the stakeholders:

Answer 4

Farmers
City dwellers
Environmentalists and recreationalists
Indigenous groups
Mexican people
US federal governmen