Series 165

Attorney General's Office Colorado River Commission case files, 1925-1963.

6.45 cubic feet and 12 microfilm reels

These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.

Historical Note

See history of the records' creator.

Summary of Records

This series contains assorted legal records, correspondence, and reports pertaining to Utah's role in the Colorado River Commission. There are two distinct set of records present in this series, split between paper holdings and microfilm.

Scope and Content

This series contains assorted legal records, correspondence, and reports pertaining to Utah's role in the Colorado River Commission. There are two distinct set of records present in this series, split between paper holdings and microfilm. Much of the physical paper content include the legal records created in the federal Arizona V. California case. It is this case (heard by the U.S. Supreme Court) that is primarily responsible for establishing water rights between states engaged in the Colorado River Compact. In addition to records that help to clarify interactions between states and their rights to water from the Colorado River, there are also records that help clarify transnational agreements concerning water use between the United States and Mexico.
The microfilm holdings in this series are comprised of a variety of legal records and published court reports from early in the 20th century. These records help to spell out the legal precedents and decisions that have impacted the useof the Colorado River in Utah. The records present on these reels include court records, published transcripts, and published decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court. It appears that a majority of the records present on these microfilm reels were document stamped (a practice engaged in by the Utah State Archives early in the agency's history). The whereabouts of the physical holdings found on these microfilm reels (created in 1974) is currently unknown. The records that appear on the microfilm do not appear to replicate the physical holdings attached to this series.
But while the majority of the records in this series detail the Arizona V. California case there are other records present that help to provide valuable historical insight on a host of other significant issues related to the human regulation and use of the Colorado River. This includes engineering and historical information about dam development on the Colorado River, and the actions of the Upper and Lower Colorado RiverCommissions in citing and coordinating the management of massive construction efforts (such as the construction of Hoover Dam which was completed in 1936). Among the most controversial of these reclamation activities was the 1956 decision to move a proposed dam site from the Echo Park region of the Unita Basin (near Dinosaur National Monument) to Glen Canyon (creating Lake Powell). This action (still highly controversial among environmental groups) set a precedent that prevents any federal reclamation activity from taking place within the boundaries of any National Park or National Monument.

Arrangement

Alphabetical by subject.

Additional Forms

This series is available on microfilm.
This series is available online as part of the Utah State Archives Digital Archives.
Copies of these records are located at University of Utah J. Willard Marriott Library View Online.

Access Restrictions

This series is classified as Public.

Use Restrictions

These records are available for reproduction and use.

Preferred Citation

Cite the Utah State Archives and Records Service, the creating agency name, the series title, and the series number.

Acquisition Information

These records were acquired from the creating agency through established retention schedules.

Processing Information

This series was processed by Jim Kichas between October and December 2011.

Related Material

Upper Colorado River project case files from the Governor Clyde, Series 200, contains assorted legal records, correspondence, and reports pertaining to Utah's role in the Colorado River Commission.
Colorado River Compact subject file from the Governor Dern, Series 206, contains assorted legal records, correspondence, and reports pertaining to Utah's role in the Colorado River Commission.
Administrative records from the Water and Power Board, Series 2559, contains an assortment of records from the state-level agency directly involved with many of the Colorado River issues discussed in this series.
Correspondence from the Water and Power Board, Series 2561, contains a variety of opinions and primary source records that provide deeper insight into many of the larger issues that appear throughout this series.
Water Committee's records from Salt Lake City (Utah). Water Commission, Series 4927, also contains records that detail use of the Colorado River in Utah.
Colorado river basin transcripts from the School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration, Series 11926, contains legal records related to the formation and administration of the Upper Colorado River Commission.
Minutes from the Water and Power Board, Series 12314, contains minutes of the state-level water agency that had direct interaction with many of the issues that appear throughout this series.
Colorado River project records from the Department of Natural Resources. Division of Water Rights, Series 13912, contains assorted legal records, correspondence, and reports pertaining to Utah's role in the Colorado River Commission.
Interstate compacts from the Lieutenant Governor, Series 20221, contains assorted legal records, correspondence, and reports pertaining to Utah's role in the Colorado River Commission.
Publications from the Water and Power Board, Series 22695, offers published information from the state government level that may mirror some of the information and issues found in this series.

Container List

BoxFolderDateDescription
111961U.S. Supreme Court - Arizona Versus California - Answering Brief for Arizona
121961Hall Versus St. Helna Parish School Board
131961-1962Arizona Versus California
141960Arizona Versus California
151960Arizona Versus California
161960Arizona Versus California
171959Arizona Versus California
181959Arizona Versus California
191958-1960In the Matter of Arizona Power Authority
1101954-1959Colorado River and Upper Colorado River Commission
1111954-1959Colorado River and Upper Colorado River Commission
1121954-1959Colorado River and Upper Colorado River Commission
1131955-1957Arizona Versus California
211955-1957Arizona Versus California
221955-1957Arizona Versus California
311948 Nov 29Engineering Advisory Committee to Upper Colorado River Basin Compact Commission - Final Report
321950-1951Reports to Upper Colorado River Commission by R.D. Goodrich, Chief Engineer
331938-1950Upper Colorado River Commission Monthly Financial Statements
341952-1956Upper Colorado River Commission Annual Reports
351951-1952Upper Colorado River Commission Annual Reports
361938Colorado River - NRA Bulletins
371946-1951U.S. Department of the Interior - Bureau of Reclamation
381949National Reclamation Association
391950National Reclamation Association
3101950National Reclamation Association
3111950National Reclamation Association
3121951-1952National Reclamation Association
3131937-1951Miscellaneous Pamphlets, Comments, Etc. by States
3141952-1959Upper Colorado River Commission
3151952-1959Upper Colorado River Commission
3161952-1959Upper Colorado River Commission
3171937-1957Arizona
3181946-1951California
3191945-1951Colorado
3201945-1951Colorado
411958Upper Colorado River Commission Official Record - Volume 10
421938-1951Utah
431950Idaho
441950New Mexico
451944Six State Committee Reports
461944Six State Committee Reports
471938-1952Wyoming
481944Colorado Water Conservation Board - Treaty with Mexico Relating to the Utilization of the Waters of Certain Rivers
491945Water Treaty with Mexico - Federal Hearing Report
4101945-1949Water Treaty with Mexico - Federal Hearing Report
4111938-1946Mexican Treaty - Miscellaneous Papers
4121938-1946Mexican Treaty - Miscellaneous Papers
4131936-1945Mexican Treaty - Correspondence
4141961-1962Southern Rocky Mountain Area Local Service Case
4151961-1962Southern Rocky Mountain Area Local Service Case
4161961-1962Southern Rocky Mountain Area Local Service Case
4171960Amicus Cuiae Briefs
4181961Southern Rocky Mountain Area Local Service Case - Direct Exhibits
4191961Southern Rocky Mountain Area Local Service Case - Direct Exhibits
511961Civil Aeronautics Board - Trans Pacific Route Case
521960State of California - Department of Water Resources
531955File 576-A: U.S. Versus State of Utah (Colorado River)
541933File 576-B: U.S. Versus State of Utah (Colorado River)
551933File 576-B: U.S. Versus State of Utah (Colorado River)
561928-1933File 576: U.S. Versus State of Utah (Colorado River)
571938-1952Colorado River Basin States Committee - General Records
581938-1946Colorado River Basin States Committee - Correspondence
611956Upper Colorado River Commission - Official Record
621946-1951Colorado River Basin States Committee
631938-1941Colorado River State Engineer Fact Finding Committee
641938 Dec 14Colorado River Basin Report by E.B. Debler - Submitted to the Conference of Colorado River Basin States at Phenix, Arizona
651949-1952Colorado River Water Users Association
661947-1951Colorado River - Development Fund
671951-1952Colorado River Storage Project
681949Vermejo Reclamation Project, New Mexico
691951-1952All American Canal Pilot Knob
6101937-1940Boulder Dam Correspondence
6111939-1942Boulder Dam - Miscellaneous
6121937-1939Boulder Dam - Miscellaneous
6131929-1939Boulder Dam - Miscellaneous
6141932-1947Boulder Dam - Miscellaneous
6151947Bridge Canyon Project
6161931-1939Bridge Canyon Project
6171939-1951Bridge Canyon Project
6181949Central Arizona Project
6191949Central Arizona Project
6201951Central Arizona Project
6211950-1951Dinosaur National Monument - Echo Park and Split Mountain Resevoir
711949 NovDixie Project - Project Planning Report
721950Dixie Project
731946Gila Project - Reports
741946Gila Project - Reports
751937-1938Gila Project
761970Gooseberry Project
771949-1950Gunnison-Arkansas Project: Roaring Fork Division
781939-1948Utah Projects
791941Columbia River
811954-1957Goverment Documents: Supreme Court - Arizona Versus California
821954Goverment Documents: Colorado River Storage Project - Hearings
831955Goverment Documents: Colorado River Storage Project - Hearings - Part I
841955Goverment Documents: Colorado River Storage Project - Hearings - Part IGoverment Documents: Colorado River Storage Project - Hearings - Part II
851953Upper Colorado River Commission - Fourth Annual Report
861955Upper Colorado River Commission - Official Record
871957Upper Colorado River Commission - Official Record
881957Upper Colorado River Commission - Miscellaneous Records
891955-1958United States Exhibits - lower Colorado River Litigation
8101944-1952New Mexico Exhibits - Volume I
8111955New Mexico Exhibits - Volume II
8121958New Mexico Exhibits - Nox. 701-852
8131955Government Documents: Colorado River Storage Projects - Hearings
911957Government Documents: Supreme Court of U.S. - Arizona Versus California
921955Upper Colorado River Commission - Sixth Annual Report
931956Upper Colorado River Commission - Seventh Annual Report
941953Maps of the Colorado River Basin
951953Maps of the Colorado River Basin
961938-1940U.S. Supreme Court - North Platte River Case: Nebraska Versus Wyoming
971953U.S. Supreme Court - Arizona Versus California
1011958Colorado River Case - Nevada Exhibits 1-50
1021958Colorado River Case - Nevada Exhibits 51-801
ReelDateDescription
11929-1931Vol 1 (pg 1) to Vol 12-13 (pg 937)
21929-1931Vol 12-13 (pg 938) to Vol 6 (pg 1869)
31929-1931Vol 6 (pg 1870) to Vol 4 (pg 2693)
41929-1931Vol 4 (pg 2694) to Vol 9 (pg 3665)
51929-1931Vol 9 (pg 3666) to Vol 13 (pg 4437)
61929-1931Vol 13 (pg 4438) to Vol 18 (pg 5346)
71929-1931Vol 18 (pg 5347) to Vol 25 (pg 6321)
81929-1931Vol 25 (pg 6322) to Vol 30 (pg 7241)
91929-1931Vol 30 (pg 7219) to Vol 32 (pg 7558)
101925-1931Letter of Sec. of War to Times Independent (09-17-1925)
111925-1931Times Independent (10-1-1925) to No. 14 - Vol 2 (pg 1005)
121928-1931No. 14 - Vol 2 (pg 1006) to No. 14, pg 6