“The Politics of Place”: Domestic and Diplomatic Priorities of the Colorado River Salinity Control Act (1974)

Abstract

“The Politics of Place”: Domestic and Diplomatic Priorities of the Colorado River SalinityControl Act (1974)This article analyzes the Colorado River Salinity Control Act (1974) from international,regional (Colorado River Basin), and local (Yuma County) perspectives. While the Nixonadministration simply wanted appropriations to build a desalination plant near Yuma,Arizona, in order to respond to Mexican complaints of saline river water south of theborder, regional (U.S.) leaders used the legislation to obtain additional salinity controlmeasures that would ostensibly conserve the Colorado River Basin’s shrinking watersupply. The article also examines the efforts of farmers, municipal leaders, and Quechan natives in Yuma County to shape the legislation to their advantage.Keywords: Environmental politics, Colorado River Delta, Yuma County, U.S.-MexicanRelations, Quechan Indians, desalination