Colorado River Basin Project Act Law and Legal Definition
Colorado River Basin Project Act (“Act”) is a U.S. federal law that provides a program for the comprehensive development of the water resources of the Colorado River Basin. The Act also establishes a Central Arizona Project for the supply of water in Arizona and New Mexico and for purposes such as the conservation of fish and wildlife. The provisions of the Act are found under 43 USCS §§ 1501 through 1556. This Act has been amended a number of times since its enactment in 1968.
The purposes of the program created by the Act include: regulating the flow of the Colorado River; controlling floods and improving navigation; providing for storage and delivery of Colorado River water for reclamation of lands, and for municipal, industrial and other beneficial purposes; improving water quality; providing public outdoor recreation facilities; improving conditions for fish and wildlife; generating and selling electrical power.
Pursuant to the Act, the Secretary of the Interior is directed to develop a regional water plan consistent with the Act as a framework for the coordination and construction of Colorado River Basin projects. The plan should be developed in after consultation with affected states and appropriate federal agencies.
