Section 176.
Cal. Government Code - GOV § 176.
in effectThe provisions of the interstate compact between the States of Arizona and California referred to in Section 175 are as follows:
Interstate Compact Defining the Boundary Between the States of Arizona and California
Article
I.
Purpose.
The boundary between the States of Arizona and California on the Colorado River has become indefinite and uncertain because of meanderings in the main channel of the Colorado River with the result that a state of confusion exists as to
the true and correct location of the boundary, and the enforcement and administration of the laws of the two states and of the United States have been rendered difficult.
The purpose of this compact is to fix by reference to stations of longitude and latitude the location of the boundary line between Arizona and California on the Colorado River from the southern boundary of the State of Nevada to the point on the international boundary which is common to the boundaries of Arizona and California and the United Mexican States.
Article
II.
Description.
The boundary between the States of Arizona and California on the Colorado River from the point where the oblique boundary between California and Nevada intersects the thirty-fifth degree of north latitude, said point being common to the boundaries of the States of
Arizona, California and Nevada, to the point on the international boundary which is common to the boundaries of Arizona, California and the United Mexican States, shall be in accordance with the following description in general terms of 34 points on the boundary:
General Description of Boundary Between Arizona and California
Point No. 1. The intersection of the boundary line common to California and Nevada and the centerline of the channel of the Colorado River as constructed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, said point being common to the boundaries of Arizona, California, and Nevada, where the 35th degree of north latitude intersects the centerline of said channel; thence downstream along and with the centerline of said channel to the southerly end of said construction to
Point No. 2, which is located in the center of the channel of the Colorado River
approximately one-half mile northerly from the A.T.&S.F. Railway Bridge at Topock; thence downstream on a straight line to
Point No. 3, which lies in the Colorado River vertically below the centerline of the A.T.&S.F. Railway tracks at a point midway face-to-face of abutments of the A.T.&S.F. Railway Bridge at Topock, Arizona; thence on a straight line downstream to
Point No. 4, which lies in the Colorado River vertically below the centerline of U.S. Highway 66 at a point where said centerline intersects the center of the center pier of the highway bridge; thence on a straight line to
Point No. 5, which lies in the Colorado River vertically below the center of the span of the gas line bridge owned by the El Paso Natural Gas Co. and the Pacific Gas and Electric Co., crossing the Colorado River at Topock, Arizona; thence downstream in a southerly direction through Havasu
Lake along a line midway between the right and left shore lines of said lake as they exist at mean operating level (elevation 448.00 above Mean Sea Level), as controlled at Parker Dam to
Point No. 6, which is the center of the overflow section of Parker Dam across the Colorado River; thence downstream midway between the shore lines on the right and left banks of the Colorado River to
Point No. 7, which lies in the center of the Colorado River approximately 2,050 feet upstream from the earthfill of Headgate Rock Dam; thence on a straight line to
Point No. 8, which is the center of the earthfill of Headgate Rock Dam; thence on a straight line to
Point No. 9, which lies on the centerline of the river approximately 3,625 feet westerly from Point No. 8; thence on a straight line to
Point No. 10, which
lies in the center of the Colorado River at a point where the parallel of 34° 10´ north latitude intersects said centerline; thence on a straight line to
Point No. 11, which lies in the Colorado River vertically below the centerline of Arizona Highway No. 72 midway between the abutments of the highway bridge; then down the Colorado River midway between the right and left shore lines across islands which may exist between those water lines to
Point No. 12, which is at the center of the earthfill section of the Palo Verde Diversion Dam; thence down the Colorado River midway between the shore lines on the right and left banks to
Point No. 13, which is vertically below the center of the center span of the highway bridge across the Colorado River at Ehrenberg, Arizona (U.S. Highway 60-70); thence down the Colorado River midway between the shore lines on the right and left banks to
Point No. 14, which is the center of the Cibola Bridge midway between abutments; thence down the Colorado River midway between the shore lines on the right and left banks, ignoring future channelization by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to
Point No. 15, which lies on the centerline of the Colorado River approximately 8,400 feet northward of the center of the overflow section of Imperial Dam; thence on a straight line to
Point No. 16, which is the center of the overflow section of Imperial Dam; thence on a straight line normal to the longitudinal axis of Imperial Dam to
Point No. 17, which lies at the intersection of the last described line with a line extending northeasterly from the center of the overflow section of Laguna Dam and normal to the longitudinal axis of the said Laguna Dam; thence southeasterly on a straight line to
Point No. 18, which is at the center of the overflow section of Laguna Dam; thence on a straight line to
Point No. 19, which lies on the centerline of the Colorado River approximately 5,800 feet southwesterly of Point 18; thence down the Colorado River midway between the shore lines on the right and left banks, around a curve to the eastward to
Point No. 20, which lies on the centerline of the Colorado River where said centerline intersects the section line between Sections 4 and 9, Township 8 South, Range 22 West, Gila and Salt River Meridian; thence departing from the river on a westerly course along the extension of the above-mentioned section line about 0.65 mile to
Point No. 21, which will be the northwest corner of the northeast quarter of Section 8, Township 8 South, Range 22 West, Gila and Salt River Meridian, which shall be
resurveyed in establishing this boundary; thence southerly along the centerline of said Section 8 about one-half mile to
Point No. 22, which is the northeast corner of the southwest quarter of Section 8, Township 8 South, Range 22 West, Gila and Salt River Meridian; thence westerly about one and one-half miles to
Point No. 23, which is the west quarter corner of Section 7, Township 8 South, Range 22 West, Gila and Salt River Meridian; thence southerly about one-half mile to
Point No. 24, which is the southwest corner of Section 7, Township 8 South, Range 22 West, Gila and Salt River Meridian; thence westerly about one mile to
Point No. 25, which is the southwest corner of Section 12, Township 8 South, Range 23 West, Gila and Salt River Meridian, thence southerly about one-half mile to
Point No.
26, which is the west quarter corner of Section 13, Township 8 South, Range 23 West, Gila and Salt River Meridian; thence westerly about 1.93 miles to
Point No. 27, which lies on the east shoulder of the north-south road through the Indian School approximately 370 feet due east of the northwest corner of the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 25, Township 16 South, Range 22 East, San Bernardino Meridian; thence southerly along and with the easterly shoulder line of the said north-south road approximately 700 feet to
Point No. 28, which lies on the easterly shoulder line of said north-south road due east of the northeast corner of the stone retaining wall around the Indian School Hospital; thence due west to
Point No. 29, which is the base of the northeast corner of said retaining wall; thence southerly along and with the westerly shoulder of said north-south road
to
Point No. 30, which lies on the westerly shoulder line of said north-south road 330 feet south of and approximately 110 feet east of the northeast corner of Section 35, Township 16 South, Range 22 East, San Bernardino Meridian; thence due west approximately 110 feet to
Point No. 31, which lies on the east line of Section 35, Township 16 South, Range 22 East, San Bernardino Meridian, exactly 330 feet south of the northeast corner of said Section 35, thence southerly along the east line of said Section 35 to
Point No. 32, which lies at the center of the Colorado River, i.e., midway between the north and south shore lines just downstream from the centerline of the old U.S. Highway 80 Bridge across the Colorado River; thence down the center line of the Colorado River midway between the shore lines on the right and left banks to
Point No.
33, which is a point in the Colorado River vertically below the center of the new U.S. Highway 80 Bridge; thence down the centerline of the Colorado River midway between the shore lines on the right and left banks to
Point No. 34, which is the intersection of the centerline of the Colorado River and the International Boundary Line between California and the United Mexican States, which point is common to the boundaries of Arizona, the United Mexican States, and California.
These points will be marked on existing bridges and dams and where appropriate will be monumented. Between each of these points will be a number of subpoints not monumented. The total number of points and subpoints will approximate 234. The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey will locate the above-mentioned 34 points on the boundary by precise geodetic surveys. The Coast and Geodetic Survey will locate the remaining approximately 200 unmonumented
subpoints by precise photogrammetric methods and will provide a list of the geographic positions and state coordinate positions (transverse Mercator system for Arizona and Lambert system for California) of each of the 234 points on the boundary. The approximately 200 unmonumented subpoints will be identified on copies of the aerial photographs by the State of Arizona and California to define the boundary; the Coast and Geodetic Survey will then locate the points so identified by analytic aerotriangulation (photogrammetric methods).
When the survey and boundary description has been completed by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey and the Boundary Commissions of Arizona and California have each certified that it is in conformity with the General Description of Boundary between Arizona and California set forth herein, it shall be attached hereto and marked Exhibit “A” and made a part hereof as though fully incorporated herein as the permanent description of the
boundary between the states of Arizona and California.
Article
III.
Ratification and Effective Date.
This compact shall become operative when it has been ratified and approved by the legislatures of the states of Arizona and California, and approved by the Congress of the United States.
Executed in duplicate this 12th day of March, A.D., One Thousand Nine Hundred and Sixty-three, at Sacramento, California.
FOR THE STATE OF
ARIZONA
FOR THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA
/s/
WAYNE M. AKIN
/s/
F. J. HORTIG
WAYNE M. AKIN
Chairman of the
Arizona Interstate
Stream Commission,
Chairman
F. J. HORTIG
Executive Officer,
State Lands
Commission,
Chairman
/s/
ROBERT W. PICKRELL
/s/
STANLEY MOSK
ROBERT W. PICKRELL
Attorney General,
Member
STANLEY MOSK
Attorney General,
Member
/s/
OBED M. LASSEN
/s/
WILLIAM E. WARNE
OBED M. LASSEN
State Land
Commissioner,
Member
WILLIAM E. WARNE
Director, Department
of Water Resources,
Member
ATTESTED:
/s/
HOWARD F. THOMPSON
ATTESTED:
/s/
BERRIEN E. MOORE
HOWARD F. THOMPSON
Executive Secretary
Colorado River
Boundary Commission
of Arizona
BERRIEN E. MOORE,
Executive Secretary
Colorado River
Boundary Commission
of California
References
referencesCal. Government Code - GOV § 175.
referencesCal. Government Code - GOV § 4.
referencesCal. Government Code - GOV § 8.
referencesCal. Government Code - GOV § 7.
referencesCal. Government Code - GOV § 12.
referencesCal. Government Code - GOV § 13.
referencesCal. Government Code - GOV § 25.
referencesCal. Government Code - GOV § 35.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026