Agreement in Principle Reached re: Modernizing Columbia River Treaty
An agreement in principle has been reached on key elements to modernize the 60-year-old Columbia River Treaty, reflecting changing climate and other needs of communities economically dependent on the river and its tributaries.
A White House statement issued July 11 noted the importance of the Columbia River to the nation's economy, generating 40% of the nation's hydropower, irrigating $8 billion in agriculture products and moving 42 million tons of commercial cargo annually.
The United States and Canada have jointly managed the waterways for 60 years. In May, 2018 the two nations began negotiating to modernize the treaty over the next 20 years.
White House officials said that modernizing the treaty would elevate the voices of U.S. tribes and Canada's indigenous nations, with a...