On 29-30 November 2023 we had 8 hours of Zoom meetings on the Columbia River Treaty (CRT) that was ratified in 1964 and can be altered under certain conditions. Right now it covers just flood control and power generation. Salmon is also under consideration especially among indigenous people. I was remiss in not posting the CRS Report by Charles V. Stern that covers the CRT (updated 15 February 2023): 'Columbia River Treaty Review'.
I will publish the Summary and the maps.Click on the maps to enlarge them.
Summary
The Columbia River Treaty (CRT or Treaty) is an international agreement between the United States and Canada for the cooperative development and operation of the water resources of the Columbia River Basin to provide for flood control and electric power. The Treaty was the result of more than 20 years of negotiations between the two countries and was ratified in 1961. Implementation began in 1964.
The Treaty provided for the construction and operation of three dams in Canada and one dam in the United States whose reservoir extends into Canada. Together, these dams more than doubled the amount of reservoir storage available in the basin and provided significant flood protection benefits. In exchange for these benefits, the United States agreed to provide Canada with lump- sum cash payments and a portion of downstream hydropower benefits that are attributable to Canadian operations under the CRT, known as the Canadian Entitlement. Some have estimated the Canadian Entitlement to be worth as much as $335 million annually.
The CRT has no specific end date. Currently, either the United States or Canada can terminate most provisions of the CRT with a minimum of 10 years’ written notice. If the CRT is not terminated or modified, most of its provisions would continue indefinitely without actions by the United States or Canada. The only exception is the CRT’s flood control provisions, which are scheduled to transition automatically to “called-upon” operations at that time, meaning the United States would request and compensate Canada for flood control operations as necessary.
To date, neither country has given notice of termination, but, following internal government Treaty reviews, both countries indicated interest in its modification. Perspectives on the CRT vary. Some believe the Treaty should include stronger provisions related to tribal resources and flows for fisheries that are not in the Treaty; others disagree and focus on the perceived need to adjust the Canadian Entitlement to reflect actual hydropower benefits. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the Bonneville Power Administration, in their joint role as the U.S. Entity overseeing the Treaty, undertook a review of the CRT from 2009 to 2013. Based on studies and stakeholder input, they provided a Regional Recommendation to the State Department in December 2013. They recommended continuing the Treaty with certain modifications, including rebalancing the CRT’s hydropower provisions, further delineating called-upon flood control operations after 2024, and incorporating into the Treaty flows to benefit Columbia River fisheries. For its part, the Canadian Entity (the Province of British Columbia) released in March 2013 a recommendation to continue the CRT with modifications “within the Treaty framework.” It disputed several assumptions in the U.S. Entity’s review process.
Following a two-year federal interagency review of the U.S. Regional Recommendation, the U.S. State Department finalized its negotiating parameters and authorized talks with Canada in October 2016. Between 2018 and 2022, U.S. and Canadian negotiating teams held 15 rounds of negotiations. As of the date of this report, these negotiations remain ongoing.
Past Congresses have held oversight hearings and weighed in on CRT-related activities through their oversight roles, and the 117th Congress enacted new authority for the Corps to carry out post-2024 called-upon flood control operations. If the executive branch comes to an agreement with Canadian officials regarding modification of the CRT, any changes to the CRT’s text would require the Senate’s advice and consent. If notice of Treaty termination is given, it is unclear whether such a notice would be reversible within the 10-year window and how Congress might inform such a decision.
Yesterday I posted a video by Robert T. Lackey on salmon issues. View it here.It is excellent - about 30 minutes long.
Enjoy!
"If the salmon and steelhead are running, then as far as I am concerned, God knows that all is well in His world...the health of the environment is good if the salmon and steelhead are around. It is that simple." - Former Oregon Governor Tom McCall
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