Executive Order 2273 Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order 2273—Colorado River Indian Reservation

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Monday, November 22, 1915

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2 min read (321 words)

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

This executive order, signed by President Woodrow Wilson on 1915-11-22, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Colorado River Indian Reservation." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.

Constitutional Assessment: Reviewed under the Tenth Amendment and the principle of dual federalism, this order touches upon domains traditionally reserved to the sovereign States. The Framers would caution against any attempt to commandeer state officers or displace local police powers through federal executive fiat.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ That such southern boundary line of the Colorado River Indian Reservation shall be a line commencing at a point on the left bank of the Colorado River marked by an iron post 3 inches in diameter stamped C.R.I.R.

▪ On brass cap thereof as established by the United States surveyor in 1912; thence easterly along the line of iron posts established by said surveyor to the corner of townships 3 and 4 north, ranges 21 and 22 west, G.

▪ On brass cap thereof, established on the highest point of La Paz Mountain.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants 🏛️ Private Citizens & Property Owners

Total Words

321

1,849 characters

Estimated Read Time

2 min

@ 200 words / min

Flesch-Kincaid

23.6

Post-Grad reading level

Constitutional Polarity

+0.02

Framers' Alignment index

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Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order No. 2273, Woodrow Wilson (Nov 22, 1915). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-2273-colorado-river-indian-reservation.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →

Whereas Executive orders dated November 16, 1874, and May 15, 1876, defined the southern boundary of the Colorado River Indian Reservation, in the State of Arizona, to be - - "Beginning at a point where the La Paz Arroyo enters the Colorado River, 4 miles above Ehrenberg; thence easterly with said arroyo to a point south of the crest of La Paz Mountain;" And whereas a survey of said southern boundary line made in 1876 erroneously located said southern boundary line by accepting an arroyo other than the Arroyo La Paz for said boundary line, which fact has been established to the satisfaction of the Interior Department by full investigations and hearings held for that purpose; Now, therefore, in order to correct the error in locating said southern boundary line and in order to conform such line to the public system of surveys recently extended over these lands, it is hereby ordered that such southern boundary line of the Colorado River Indian Reservation shall be a line commencing at a point on the left bank of the Colorado River marked by an iron post 3 inches in diameter stamped C.R.I.R. on brass cap thereof as established by the United States surveyor in 1912; thence easterly along the line of iron posts established by said surveyor to the corner of townships 3 and 4 north, ranges 21 and 22 west, G. S.R.M.; thence north along the range line to the established corner of sections 13, 18, 19, and 24, township 4 north, ranges 21 and 22 west; thence easterly along the established section lines to the closing corner of sections 18 and 19, township 4 north, range 20 west, recorded by said United States surveyor as located north 6 degrees, 36 minutes east, 66.17 chains from an iron post marked C.R.I.R. on brass cap thereof, established on the highest point of La Paz Mountain. WOODROW WILSON The White House, November 22, 1915