Political Problems caused by managing the Colorado River Basin and Solutions to these problems

Political Problems caused by managing the Colorado River Basin and Solutions to these problems. Exemplar (10 marks)
One of the main problems has been the allocation of water to the states along the course of the Colorado River. California for example adds little water to the Colorado’s discharge whilst taking out the most water of all the states. California has an increasing population and hence demands for drinking water. Arizona, unhappy about California’s role took them to court to review water allocations. This turned into an expensive $5 million court case and also meant that all new developments along the Colorado were suspended until the courts made a legal ruling. This affected the state of Colorado and meant new industry, farming and job creation was being lost. Conflict between these states is also increasing as water scarcity due to lower levels of rainfall is increasing.
The states have shown an inability to reach agreement concerning the removal of water for farming and the problems of salinity and river flow caused. Politicians have been unable to agree, to reduce extraction because they risk losing farming votes in their respective states. Furthermore they also ignore the fact that many of the crops produced are surplus to requirements. This political apathy is worsened as many politicians receive major donations from construction firms involved in dam building.
In the lower basin of the Colorado salinity levels increased so that these US States and Mexico saw reduced farming yields. Mexico complained about this for many years but the US ignored them and there was nothing the Mexicans could do. The US didn’t act until they realised they needed Mexico’s oil and so for their own self interest they built a desalination plant in Yuma in 1973.
To control water extraction the Colorado Compact was eventually agreed upon by the 7 US states in the Colorado’s drainage basin in the early half of the 20^th century. This however soon became outdated as population increase, industrial growth and a need for cheap renewable power developed meant that more water was needed. States therefore started to take more than they were allowed leading to long court battles.