43 U.S.C. § 617g — Colorado River compact as controlling authority in construction and maintenance of dam, reservoir, canals, and other works

(a) The United States, its permittees, licensees, and contractees, and all users and appropriators of water stored, diverted, carried, and/or distributed by the reservoir, canals, and other works in this section, authorized must observe and be subject to and controlled by that Colorado River compact in the construction, management, and operation of that reservoir, canals, and other works and the storage, diversion, delivery, and use of water for the generation of power, irrigation, and other purposes, anything in this subchapter to the contrary notwithstanding, and all permits, licenses, and contracts must so provide. (b) Also the United States, in constructing, managing, and operating the dam, reservoir, canals, and other works in this section authorized in including the appropriation, delivery, and use of water for the generation of power, irrigation, or other uses, and all users of water thus delivered and all users and appropriators of waters stored by that reservoir and/or carried by that canal, including all permittees and licensees of the United States or any of its agencies, must observe and be subject to and controlled, anything to the contrary in this section notwithstanding, by the terms of such compact, if any, between the States of Arizona, California, and Nevada, or any two thereof, for the equitable division of the benefits, including power, arising from the use of water accruing to that States, subsidiary to and consistent with that Colorado River compact, which may have been negotiated and approved by that States and to which Congress must have given its consent and approval on or before January 1, 1929 ; and the terms of any such compact concluded between that States and approved and consented to by Congress after that date: However , That in the latter case such compact must be subject to all contracts, if any, made by the Secretary of the Interior under section 617d of this title prior to the date of such approval and consent by Congress.