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Columbia River Treaty
Edition:
Columbia River Treaty Review
The Columbia River Treaty is a trans-boundary water management agreement between the United States and Canada. The Columbia River Treaty has no specified end date. Either Canada or the United States can terminate most of the agreement provisions as early as September 16, 2024, provided they give at least 10 years’ notice.
The Canada-British Columbia Agreement (1963) transferred most Columbia River Treaty benefits, rights and obligations to the Province.
Government agencies in both Canada and the United States are examining future Columbia River Treaty options. Read more
Treaties, Water and Science in Cranbrook
By Kristen Mitchell, College of the Rockies (Youth Journalist)
The East Kootenay Regional Science Fair at Cranbrook’s College of the Rockies offered a perfect opportunity to inform the next generation about the importance of the Columbia River Treaty Review. Emily Eng and Ingrid Strauss from the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Natural Gas visited the Kootenays from Victoria to share information about the relevancy of the Treaty Review to the region. Armed with crosswords, pens and—most effective of all— lip balm, Eng and Strauss set up a booth and spent several days sharing information. Read more
Contact the Columbia River Treaty Review Team Read more
Register For Conferences Until March 15!
Registration for the Columbia River Treaty Review Conferences in Golden (March 20) and Castlegar (March 22) closes on March 15. Information about the conference is being emailed and advertised in local papers and online. You can attend one of the free conferences in person by registering here. The March 22 conference in Castlegar will also be streamed live. You can register to participate via live stream here. Read more
Evening Sessions: Golden March 20 and Nelson March 21
For Basin residents interested in an overview and update of the Columbia River Treaty Review process, the Province is hosting evening sessions from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm in Golden on March 20 and in Nelson on March 21. Read more
Treaty Review Question of the Month:
How flexible can the Columbia River Treaty be in responding to other values?
The Columbia River Treaty (Treaty) is often cited as one of the best transboundary water management agreements in the world, even though it was signed over fifty years ago. One of the reasons for the Treaty’s enduring success is the flexibility the original authors built into the agreement. This flexibility has allowed the Canadian Entity (BC Hydro) and United States Entity (US Army Corps of Engineers and Bonneville Power Administration) to respond to many of the societal and environmental concerns and interests that have evolved over time.
Beginning in the 1990’s, the Entities have had numerous agreements within the framework of the Treaty to address environmental and social concerns. Read more