Colorado River Compact

The Colorado River Compact is a 1922 agreement that regulates water distribution among seven states in the Southwestern United States. The compact is about the area within the drainage basin of the Colorado River.

The agreement, originally proposed by attorney Delph Carpenter, was signed at a meeting at Bishop's Lodge, near Santa Fe, New Mexico, by representatives of the seven states the Colorado river and its tributaries pass through on the way to Mexico. The agreement was promoted by Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover.

The Colorado River is managed and operated under numerous compacts, federal laws, an international treaty, court decisions and decrees, contracts, and regulatory guidelines collectively known as "the Law of the River".

There are ongoing disputes over tribal claims to parts of the river, with many tribal water rights remaining unquantified. The original agreement overestimated the amount of water that usually flowed through the river, leading to shortages. These shortages have been exacerbated by drought. The Colorado River Delta in Mexico has largely disappeared due to a lack of inflowing water. However, agreements are in place for the water that enters Mexico, and recovery efforts are ongoing.