Water rights, especially from the Colorado River, are complex and highly politicized.  I am no expert, but I don't think this water has been "sold" to California, but I think it's more like California has "rights" to use this water.  From http://www.waterinfo.org/lawofriver.html:

"The [Boulder Canyon Project Act of 1928] also authorized the states of Arizona, California and Nevada to enter into an interstate compact to divide the 7.5 million acre-feet of water apportioned annually to the Lower Basin by the Colorado River Compact... In 1948, the four Upper Basin states agreed in the Upper Colorado River Basin Compact to the allocation of the Upper Basin's share of the Colorado River water on a percentage basis to enable a consistent method of determining allocation, regardless of the varying water supplies of the River as follows: Wyoming = 14%, Utah = 23%, New Mexico =11.25%, and Colorado = 51.75%."

In your in-laws' case, I would guess that Utah "used up" their share of water in other parts of the state, whereas California, Arizona, and Nevada still have some to use.  California, everyone's favorite punching bag, gets the blame...  :-)

Art Frank
Manager of Information Systems
OHSU Foundation
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(503) 220-8320

>>> KENT WALLACE <[log in to unmask]> 06/24/02 08:43AM >>>
<snip>
I believe that not too many miles away is the Colorado river that flows into lake Powell.   It is my understanding that water has already been sold to California.

Kent Wallace  

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