What was the purpose of the Colorado river compact?
The Colorado River Compact has several purposes: 1) to apportion the use of water in the Colorado River Basin (i.e. the Colorado River and all its tributaries); 2) promote interstate comity; and 3) to secure the ability of the Upper Colorado River Basin to develop at its own pace (without the compact, the more populous Lower Basin would have tried to develop a claim as much water as possible–the compact preserves the ability of the Upper Basin to use water).