Canada, U.S. agree to update Columbia River Treaty that oversees western waterway

The Canadian and U.S. governments have reached a deal on how to modernize the Columbia River Treaty, the decades-old agreement that regulates the waterway that flows from southeastern British Columbia into Washington state.

In a statement issued from Washington, D.C., Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the in-principle agreement will enable officials to update the treaty to ensure continued flood-risk management and co-operation on hydro power on the river.

He said the updated treaty will also incorporate provisions not considered in the original agreement, including ecosystem health and Indigenous cultural values.

“This agreement-in-principle is the result of extensive engagement, notably with Indigenous and local communities, to ensure that all interests are heard, represented, and addressed,” he said.

A key component of the original treaty inked in 1961 is set to expire in September, adding urgency to the negotiations.

The treaty is important because actions on one side of the border can have an impact on the other, such as how Canadian dams manage water flow, affecting flood mitigation and power generation further downstream.

B.C. issued a separate statement on the agreement, saying the provincial and federal government will share “more detailed information” about the deal in the coming weeks.

It said it has been working with the federal government and the Ktunaxa, Secwépemc and Syilx Okanagan Nations over the past six years to come up with the country’s “priorities, objectives and negotiating positions.”

Katrine Conroy, the B.C. minister responsible for the Columbia River Treaty, said in an interview Thursday that the deal is a “generational opportunity” to build on the 1960s treaty, which was “all about power generation