The Bureau of Reclamation, Upper Colorado Region has generated collections of archeological and historical objects and records through its various works.
Following 36 CFR 79, federal collections shall be curated by a repository meeting the Department of the Interior or the American Association
of Museums standards.
The UWAR meets these standards.
The UWAR hired by the Secretary of the Interior (National Park Service) to generate the collections before the Colorado River Storage Project dams were built in the 1950s and 1960s.
The collections were deposited with UWAR in the 1950s, and under the terms of the original agreements between the United States (National Park Service) and the UWAR, they were stipulated to “retain” the collection in perpetuity.