The Law of the River

This week I specifically dove into researching the historical context of the Colorado River watershed. I tried to find the most major agreements, surface water projects, and developments to focus on and discuss them in a chronological manner. Minus the decision to enact the Prior Appropriation doctrine rather than the Riparian, one of the most interesting details I found was in the Colorado River Compact, which was created in 1922. The document stated that domestic use covers pretty much any type of exploitation but excludes hydroelectric power. I think that these small clarifications may play a larger role today in the power that hydroelectric companies hold. Also, I was surprised to find how early the Basin was “split,” juristically at least, in-between an Upper and Lower basin. I also have reworked my actor map to encompass my growing understanding of transboundary water sheds and the Colorado and Brahmaputra specifically.