Colorado River Records
The Utah State Archives and Records Service holds a wide variety of records that document that state’s ongoing planning and management of the Colorado River. The following guide highlights the various records that document this history. It is intended to facilitate researchers interested in Colorado River history in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Colorado River
The following records relate directly to the various activities undertaken by state and local governmental entities in Utah with regard to developing and managing the Colorado River.
| Attorney General | ||
| Colorado River Commission case files, 1925-1963 | Series 165 | |
| Department of Natural Resources. Division of Water Resources | ||
| Interstate stream files, 1942- | Series 11745 | |
| Colorado River project files, 1908-1968 | Series 13912 | |
| Department of Transportation. Office of Community Relations | ||
| Official photographs, 1981- | Series 24239 | |
| Governor Bangerter | ||
| Executive assistant’s records, 1987-1988 | Series 12420 | |
| Governor Blood | ||
| Colorado River correspondence, 1933-1940 | View Online | Series 22918 |
| Governor Clyde | ||
| Upper Colorado River project case files, 1957-1964 | Series 200 | |
| Governor Dern | ||
| Colorado River Compact subject files, 1926-1936 | Series 206 | |
| Speeches, 1914-1933 | Series 209 | |
| Governor Lee | ||
| Correspondence, 1949-1956 | View Online | Series 211 |
| Office of Tourism | ||
| Travel promotion films and audiovisual materials, 1940- | Series 5544 | |
| Salt Lake City Water Commission | ||
| Water committee records, 1931-1939 | View Online | Series 4927 |
| Secretary of State | ||
| Interstate compacts, 1922- | Series 20221 | |
| School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration | ||
| Colorado river basin dispute index cards, 1930 | Series 11761 | |
| Colorado river basin rranscripts, 1928-1931 | Series 11926 | |
| State Board of Land Commissioners | ||
| Litigation records, 1920-1939 | Series 2149 | |
| State Engineer | ||
| Colorado River water appropriations location roster, 1881-1902 | Series 2401 | |
| Snow and water survey data, 1934-1957 | Series 1332 | |
| State Planning Board | ||
| Water resources correspondence, 1936-1940 | Series 21003 | |
| Water resources drainage basin reports, 1934-1938 | View Online | Series 20999 |
| Water resources flood control hearings | Series 21002 | |
| Water resources minutes, 1934-1941 | Series 21000 | |
| Water and Power Board | ||
| Correspondence, 1954-1955 | Series 2561 | |
| Minutes, 1958-1967 | Series 12314 |
Central Utah Project Records
These records provide information on the management and administration of the Central Utah Project, which was primarily responsible for overseeing engineering projects tied to developing Utah’s allotment of the Colorado River.
| Department of Natural Resources. Geological Survey | |
| Special project files, 1973-2000 | Series 25708 |
| Governor Bangerter | |
| Chief of staff correspondence, 1985-1992 | Series 12412 |
| Correspondence, 1984-1992 | Series 12413 |
| Washington office records, 1985-1992 | Series 9394 |
| Governor Matheson | |
| Natural resources working files, 1964-1984 | Series 19161 |
| Outgoing correspondence, 1977-1984 | Series 4466 |
| Speeches, 1976-1984 | Series 4455 |
| State correspondence, 1976-1983 | Series 19268 |
Water Rights Records
Water rights are foundational to the ongoing management of the Colorado River. These rights are adjudicated by federal and state courts. In Utah, records of water right decisions are most often found in civil case files of District Courts on the county level. Select a county to link to a list of district court records, including civil case files.
Beaver | Box Elder | Cache | Carbon | Daggett | Davis | Duchesne | Emery | Garfield | Grand | Iron | Juab | Kane | Millard | Morgan | Piute | Rich | Salt Lake | San Juan | Sanpete | Sevier | Summit | Tooele | Uintah | Utah | Wasatch | Washington | Wayne | Weber
Written and compiled by Jim Kichas
Originally published in July 2020
Page Last Updated July 29, 2020.