Title 43 — Public LandsRelease 119-73

§617r Consent given States to negotiate supplemental compacts for development of Colorado River

Title 43 › Chapter CHAPTER 12A— - BOULDER CANYON PROJECT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - BOULDER CANYON PROJECT ACT › § 617r

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Congress allows Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming to make extra agreements that follow the Colorado River compact and this law. Those agreements can plan how to develop, store, divert, and use the river. They can include building dams, diversion works, flood control, reclamation, navigation improvements, powerhouses and their financing, and creating interstate commissions or other entities. A U.S. representative chosen by the President must take part in the talks and report to Congress. Any agreement only becomes binding after each state’s legislature and Congress approve it.

Full Legal Text

Title 43, §617r

Public Lands — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The consent of Congress is given to the States of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming to negotiate and enter into compacts or agreements, supplemental to and in conformity with the Colorado River compact and consistent with this subchapter for a comprehensive plan for the development of the Colorado River and providing for the storage, diversion, and use of the waters of said river. Any such compact or agreement may provide for the construction of dams, headworks, and other diversion works or structures for flood control, reclamation, improvement of navigation, division of water, or other purposes and/or the construction of power houses or other structures for the purpose of the development of water power and the financing of the same; and for such purposes may authorize the creation of interstate commissions and/or the creation of corporations, authorities, or other instrumentalities.

(a)Such consent is given upon condition that a representative of the United States, to be appointed by the President, shall participate in the negotiations and shall make report to Congress of the proceedings and of any compact or agreement entered into.

(b)No such compact or agreement shall be binding or obligatory upon any of such States unless and until it has been approved by the legislature of each of such States and by the Congress of the United States.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

43 U.S.C. § 617r

Title 43 — Public Lands

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73