Columbia River Treaty Agreement-In-Principle opens possibilities for restoring river ecosystems

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Photo: Pat Morrow

Columbia Basin, B.C. – A collaborative of Canadian environmental groups congratulates negotiators from Canada, British Columbia, and the Ktunaxa, Secwépemc, and Syilx Okanagan Nations, as well as the United States, on reaching an agreement-in-principle (AIP) for a modernized Columbia River Treaty. While the agreement-in-principle is just the beginning of the process to finalize — and then ultimately implement — a modernized treaty, this is an important step forward.

“The negotiated AIP provides a solid opportunity for improving ecosystem function within the Upper Columbia Basin,” said Greg Utzig, Technical Advisor to the Upper Columbia Basin Environmental Collaborative (UCBEC). “As the renewed treaty is finalized, and changes are implemented, the task ahead will be to ensure that the flexibility provided by the AIP is meaningfully utilized for tangible and resilient ecosystem health improvements. We still need to see Columbia Basin ecosystems placed on an equal footing with power production and flood control.”

The Columbia River Treaty authorized the construction of four dams, flooding an area roughly three times the size of Kootenay Lake (approx. 120,000 hectares), destroying ecosystems and displacing thousands of human residents. 

“The agreement-in-principle marks a significant milestone towards reaching a treaty which recognizes a broader range of voices and values than previously. We applaud the efforts of all involved with the negotiations to date. We look forward to the release of further details and hope that the ongoing negotiations will lead to improved protection for freshwater ecosystems in the Columbia Basin,” said Kat Hartwig, Living Lakes Canada Executive Director.

“Previously the treaty focused on maximizing flood control and hydropower in the United States. We are pleased to see the draft includes flexibility for Canadian unilateral management of up to 5 million acre- feet (MAF), nearly one-third of total water storage under the treaty,” said Martin Carver, UCBEC Lead and Facilitator.

The BC government has committed to an extensive public engagement process on the draft AIP before the treaty is finalized. 

“For years, Wildsight has worked hard in collaboration with many partners to educate people in our region, especially youth, about the legacy of the Columbia River Treaty and the opportunities present in the complex treaty modernization process. We commend provincial, Indigenous, and federal governments in Canada for working proactively and sincerely with local people as we move towards the watershed’s next chapter,” said Graeme Lee Rowlands, Wildsight’s Director of Water and Climate. 

UCBEC will continue to advocate for improved ecosystem function through the coming public engagement process and encourages all Basin residents to actively participate to maximize benefits to the Columbia Basin. 

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Background:

  • BC Government agreement-in-principle engagement website
  • The primary focus of the Upper Columbia Basin Environmental Collaborative is to improve the function of Canadian ecosystems impacted by dams and reservoirs in the Columbia Basin. UCBEC also supports ecosystem restoration in the U.S. to ensure maximum ecosystem function is maintained and improved throughout the Columbia Basin as a whole.
  • The Columbia River Treaty was ratified in 1964 with only two purposes: providing engineered flood risk management for downstream communities (mostly in the U.S.) and maximizing hydropower generation, ignoring ecosystems and the benefits that healthy ecosystem functions provide for human and non-human communities.
  • The Columbia River Treaty led to the construction of Mica Dam north of Revelstoke, Duncan Dam north of Kaslo, and the Hugh Keenleyside Dam north of Castlegar. The treaty also authorized the U.S. to build Libby Dam in Montana with its Koocanusa reservoir stretching over the border into B.C. Together, these four dams flooded an area roughly three times the size of Kootenay Lake (approx. 120,000 hectares), destroying ecosystems and displacing thousands of human residents. Ongoing management of dams under the treaty has generally served downstream U.S. needs with detrimental impacts in Canada.
  • The United States and Canada have been negotiating actively since May 2018 to modernize the Columbia River Treaty.
  • After being left out of the treaty since its inception, the Ktunaxa, Secwépemc, and Syilx Okanagan Nations joined the Canadian Columbia River Treaty negotiating team in 2019 and have since been leading work to assess opportunities to improve ecosystem functions and Indigenous cultural value interests through a modernized treaty. UCBEC has been honoured to support this work through participation by its technical representative.
  • The Columbia River Treaty Local Governments Committee has been leading parallel work to assess opportunities to improve socioeconomic values through a modernized treaty. Among numerous other points, the committee’s recommendations for a modernized treaty also include expanding its focus to include ecosystems.

Contacts:

About:

The Upper Columbia Basin Environmental Collaborative (UCBEC) is a collaboration of a cross-section of environmental voices from the Upper Columbia Basin (UCB) representing provincial, regional and local environmental groups. Members include BC Nature, Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society, Living Lakes Canada, Wildsight, and the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative with numerous other groups also pledging their support. In total, these groups represent more than 25,000 supporters, most of whom are residents of the Canadian Columbia River Basin.