Skip to main content
Arizona State Library Logo

Main menu

  • Home
  • About
    • Volunteering Opportunities
      • Volunteer at the Arizona Talking Book Library
      • Volunteer at the Capitol Museum
      • Volunteer at the Research Library
    • Boards and Commissions
    • Contact Us
  • Branches
    • Archives
      • Accessing Arizona Public Records
      • Archives and Records Management Policies
      • Conservation Disaster Recovery
      • Contact
      • Programs, Training, and Presentations
        • Class Offerings
      • Research at the Archives
        • Ancestry.com Arizona
        • Arizona State Agency Records and Publications
        • Genealogy Collection
          • Genealogy Information Portals
          • Ten Basic Steps to Researching Your Family Tree
        • Maps at the Arizona State Archives
        • Photograph Collections
          • Photograph Collection List
        • Arizona Women's Hall of Fame
    • Arizona Capitol Museum
      • About the Arizona Capitol Museum
      • Capitol Museum Store
      • Capitol Museum Tours
      • Educator Resources
      • Exhibits
        • Online Art Exhibits
        • Online Exhibits
      • Museum Events
        • Celebrating Suffrage: More than the 19th Amendment
      • Museum Guild
      • Plan your Visit
        • Explore the Capitol
      • Reserve a Room
      • Visitor Satisfaction Survey
      • Volunteer Opportunities
    • Arizona Talking Book Library
    • E-Rate
    • Library Development
      • Arizona Center for the Book
      • Arizona Reading Program
      • Contact Library Development
      • Continuing Education
        • Arizona State Library Leadership Institute
        • Arizona State Library Summer Institute
        • Get Involved Collaborative
        • Library Practitioner Certification
        • Scholarships
      • Grants
      • Library Directory
      • Library Services & Technology Act (LSTA) Funding
      • Programs, Services and Tools
      • State Grants-in-Aid (SGIA)
    • Records Management
      • Records Center Services
        • Records Warehouse and Vault
      • Retention Schedules, Forms, Standards, Guidance and FAQs
        • Forms and Approvals
        • Guidance, Standards and Statutes
        • Retention Schedules
    • State of Arizona Research Library
      • Arizona Collection
      • Arizona Newspapers
      • Federal Agency Publications and Information
      • Legal Resources
      • Legislative Assistance and Resources
      • Our Locations
      • Patent and Trademark Resources
      • Research Center
      • Research for State Employees
      • State Publications
      • State of Arizona Research Library Policies
  • Collections
    • Digital Arizona Library (DAZL)
      • Online Reference Resources
      • Resources for Learners
        • Elementary Students
        • High School and Junior High
        • Research Topics
      • Arizona Memory Project
      • Arizona Historic Digital Newspapers
      • Arizona Almanac
      • Arizona Government
        • Historic Arizona Legislatures
        • Documents Leading to Statehood
        • Historic Election Materials
        • State Agency Histories
      • Arizona Maps Online
      • Arizona Research Topics
      • Reading Arizona eBooks
    • Arizona State Knowledge (ASK)
    • Arizona Talking Book Library Online Catalog
    • Braille and Audio Reading Download
    • Research Library Catalog
  • Services
    • Jobline
    • Library Directory
    • Library Services
    • Reserve a Room
    • Retention Schedules
  • Events
  • Home
  • Arizona v. California and the Central Arizona Project

Arizona v. California and the Central Arizona Project

Arizona State Library, Archives & Records COVID-19 Response – Temporarily suspending all in-person services, while maintaining our statutory responsibilities

What our office is doing

  • Our number one goal is to keep the public and our employees safe
  • The situation related to COVID-19 is rapidly developing, as is the response from this office and the state. Please check back regularly for updates
  • We are committed to providing continuity of services while reducing exposure risks
  • In-person trainings for ALL divisions are on hold until further notice. Divisions will hold trainings by webinar as needed.
  • Department staff will attend community meetings virtually or by phone, when available.
  • Services impacted:
    • In-person Patent and Trademark Resource Center consultations
    • The Arizona Capitol Museum is closed until further notice.
    • In-person retrieval and immediate checkout of materials to patrons of Arizona Talking Book Library
    • Walk-in reference service for Archives & the Research Library

Services that are available online or by phone

  • Ask a Question - online reference service
  • Digital Arizona Library, including statewide electronic resources
    • COVID-19 Resources for Arizona Libraries
    • Stay-at-Home Learning Tools
  • Records retention schedules assistance
  • Arizona Talking Book Library requests and link to downloads
  • Tools and resources for library staff
  • Online continuing education for library staff
    • Library Services Newsletter
    • Library Development Event Calendar
    • Continuing Education Upcoming Events
  • Consulting for library staff on grants, electronic resources, digital inclusion efforts, Public Library Survey and all library services
  • Communications channel for County Librarians
  • E-rate Services offered online and by phone
  • Arizona Capitol Museum Giftshop orders can still be placed online
  • Arizona Capitol Museum collections can be viewed online through the Arizona Memory Project and Google Cultural Institute
  • Arizona Capitol Museum staff can respond to email and phone call inquiries.

__Panel_Title__

______________

__Panel_Title__

______________

__Panel_Title__

______________

__Panel_Title__

______________

__Panel_Title__

______________

__Panel_Title__

______________

__Panel_Title__

______________

__Panel_Title__

______________

Decade: 
1950s

Arizona v. California and the Central Arizona Project

In the 1920s, Arizona State Senator Fred Colter dreamed of a canal to bring Colorado River water to central Arizona. Fast forward to 1951: Colter's dream canal had been renamed the Central Arizona Project, and the U.S. Senate had just approved its construction. But in 1953, before the project could be started, Arizona and California went to court over Colorado River water rights, and work on the Central Arizona Project was suspended yet again (Sheridan, 1995). 

Read About It

Use the document analysis sheet and the photograph analysis sheet to uncover clues about the people that created the documents. 

  • Press Release from Senator Ernest McFarland, February 15, 1949
  • Copy of the Amended and Supplemental Statement of Position of Complainant, State of Arizona
  • Copy of a letter from Governor Goddard to Nancy McWilliams, November 30, 1965

Understand It

  1. When was the Colorado River Project approved? When did the Arizona v. California court case begin?
  2. Who created the documents linked above? Whose side did they take in the Arizona v. California case? Is there a bias in their writing?
  3. Who has a right to use the water from the Colorado River? What should it be used for, and why?

Explore More

Visit the websites below to learn more. Based on this new information, have your answers to the questions above changed?

For Students

  • Supplemental Report, Central Arizona Project

For Teachers

  • Arizona Water Education for Teachers
  • Reclamation and Arizona: 1950s

Resources

Additional Resources

Ready for more information on this topic? You can find more resources, in addition to the ones listed below, in the State of Arizona Research Library located at the Polly Rosenbaum Archives and History Building, 1901 W. Madison St., Phoenix, AZ 85009. Phone: 602-926-3870 Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. If the collection has a second copy of a listed book, it may be available via interlibrary loan at your local library. Contact Us

Related Topics

Find a document in the Arizona State Library catalog that would be a good addition to this topic? Have a suggestion for another Arizona Research Topic? Contact us.

Research Topics

DAZL Logo

Phone: 602-926-3870

Contact Us   ask a question icon

Facebook - Digital Arizona Library

Arizona State Seal
Contact Us
Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records
Multiple Locations
See Contact Us Page
Map Image

Footer Nav

  • Statewide Policies
  • Site Map
  • Website Policies
  • Contact Us
  • Staff Login