The 1964 Columbia River Treaty is an international agreement between Canada and the United States for the cooperative development and operation of water resources in the Columbia River basin.
Leading up to the Treaty were two major forces impacting Canada and the United States:
1. Periodic and sometimes devastating flooding to the area because of insufficient reservoir capacity on the Columbia River and;
2. A boom in the post-war economy and population increase requiring greater energy resources.
The Columbia River system is the most important watershed in the Pacific Northwest. Originating in British Columbia, the basin encompasses parts of Washington, Oregon, Idaho & Montana. Four Treaty dams have been built in total, doubling the storage capacity of the river basin, increasing power generation and regulating river flows to reduce flooding.
The Canadian Columbia basin region generates over 40% of the total electricity produced in B.C., producing low-cost, zero carbon electricity
in support of the BC Energy Plan.
The Treaty has no termination date, but has a minimum length of 60 years. The Treaty provides that either Canada or the United States can unilaterally terminate the Treaty by providing a minimum of 10 years advance, written notice. Written notice on or before September 16, 2014 would be required to achieve the earliest possible unilateral termination date for the Treaty, which is September 16, 2024. However, if both the Canadian and United States' federal governments agree, the Treaty can be renegotiated or terminated at any time. In Canada's case, the Federal government must seek the agreement of British Columbia to undertake a number of actions under the Treaty, including termination. Unless terminated or renegotiated, most of the Treaty's current provisions will continue on indefinitely.
The Province is taking a pro-active, measured, systematic and comprehensive approach to study the Treaty and issues related to its future. Many studies and substantial public and inter-governmental consultations are required before any discussion of the future of the Treaty can take place.
The Province will be undertaking consultations with affected people in B.C. to ensure their concerns are heard.
For further information regarding the Columbia River Treaty, please see:
The Columbia River Treaty Factsheet
The Columbia River Treaty Review
History of the Columbia River Treaty
The Columbia River Treaty, Protocol and Related Documents
Agreement between Canada and British Columbia
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