Recent Developments in Resources and Utilities Law

Abstract

Municipal counsel throughout the nation must reevaluate the relationship of local and federal government as a result of the Supreme Court opinion in Arizona v. California. The decision authorizes the Secretary of Interior to exercise previously unparalleled powers over the Colorado River's water supply in times of shortage. Secretary Stewart Udall reacted to the decision by immediately proposing a 1.9‐billion‐dollar regional development plan to produce water for the five states served by the lower Colorado. This political solution has, generally, been well‐received by local leaders.