Colorado River Storage Project Act Law and Legal Definition
Colorado River Storage Project Act (“Act”) is a federal legislation codified at 43 U.S.C. §§ 620 through 620o. Many amendments were made to the Act ever since its enactment in 1956. The Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior (“Secretary”) to construct, operate, and maintain the Colorado River Storage Project, and many other participating projects. The Secretary is also responsible for:
a. Constructing a variety of dams, reservoirs, powerplants, transmission facilities and related works in the Upper Colorado River Basin.
b. Investigating, planning, constructing, and operating facilities to mitigate losses of, and improve conditions for, fish and wildlife and public recreational facilities.
The Act provides the authority to acquire lands and to lease and convey lands and facilities to state and other agencies. Additionally, it provides for the development of the water resources of the Upper Colorado River Basin in order to regulate the flow of the Colorado River; store water for beneficial consumptive use make it possible for states of the Upper Basin to use the apportionments made to and among them in the Colorado River Compact and the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact, respectively; provide for the reclamation of arid and semiarid land, the control of floods, and the generation of hydroelectric power.
