On June 25, 2013 the Province released a discussion paper entitled: U.S. Benefits from the Columbia River Treaty – Past, Present and Future: A Province of British Columbia Perspective. The paper highlights a number of the benefits the United States (U.S.) receives from coordinated operations on the Columbia River and how these benefits could be impacted in the future, whether the Treaty continues or is terminated. Some of the benefits the U.S. currently enjoys include:

• Reduced risk with regards to potentially damaging floods;
• Certainty and reliability in meeting domestic energy demand;
• Enhanced flows for ecosystem values, especially salmon;
• Predictability of flow conditions for U.S. commercial navigation;
• Ability to coordinate other storage (e.g. Non-Treaty Storage in Kinbasket Reservoir) for mutual benefits in both countries, especially during low flow periods; and
• Ability to effectively adapt to climate change.

The discussion paper can be found on the Columbia River Treaty Review website here.