League of the Southwest
Encyclopedia
The League of the Southwest was a 1919 alliance formed among U.S. state
s in the basin of the Colorado River with the intention of promoting development, in particular irrigation
of cropland for agriculture
, along the river. In 1921, two years later, the United States Congress
authorized the states to negotiate an agreement for allocation of the river water, leading to the 1922 Colorado River Compact
.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s in the basin of the Colorado River with the intention of promoting development, in particular irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
of cropland for agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, along the river. In 1921, two years later, the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
authorized the states to negotiate an agreement for allocation of the river water, leading to the 1922 Colorado River Compact
Colorado River Compact
The Colorado River Compact is a 1922 agreement among seven U.S. states in the basin of the Colorado River in the American Southwest governing the allocation of the water rights to the river's water among the parties of the interstate compact...
.