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U.S., Canada reach agreement in principle on elements of modernized Columbia River Treaty

U.S., Canada reach agreement in principle on elements of modernized Columbia River Treaty
(photo courtesy U.S. Department of State)

U.S. President Joseph Biden announced that the U.S. and Canada have reached agreement in principle on the key elements of the modernized Columbia River Treaty.

The President made the announcement during a visit to Washington, D.C., by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The Columbia River and its tributaries are of great importance to Tribal and Indigenous peoples, who have been sustained by this ecosystem and the abundant resources it provides, the White House said. These waterways are also vitally important to the U.S. economy, generating 40% of U.S. hydropower, irrigating $8 billion in agriculture products, and moving 42 million tons of commercial cargo every year. For 60 years, the U.S. and Canada have managed these waterways together through the Columbia River Treaty.

The treaty was signed in 1961 to provide a framework for the U.S. and Canada to coordinate water storage, flood control and hydroelectric power generation in the Columbia River Basin. The river’s headwater originate in British Columbia, but only about 15% of the square mileage of the river basin is in Canada. At the same time, Canadian waters account for about 38% of the average annual volume and up to 50% of the peak flood waters that flow by The Dalles Dam between Oregon and Washington.

After 60 years, the treaty needs updating to reflect the changing climate and the changing needs of the communities that depend on this vital waterway. The two countries have found common ground on how they will work together to care for them for the next 20 years, according to a White House briefing.

The modernized treaty will elevate U.S. Tribes’ and Canadian Indigenous Nations’ voices and re-balance energy coordination between the U.S. and Canada, allowing the U.S. to keep more clean hydropower energy, while giving Canada more opportunities to import from and export to the U.S. market. And the U.S. will benefit from pre-planned water storage at Canadian Treaty dams, to help control flooding and protect vulnerable communities.

In the coming weeks, the U.S. and Canada will continue work on drafting a treaty amendment that reflects these key elements, the White House said.

Negotiations on the treaty began in May 2018. Unless the treaty is terminated, most of the provisions continue indefinitely, but the terms for flood control will change automatically at the Sept. 16, 2024, expiration.