Critical to the Future of the Northwest
The Treaty
The Columbia River Treaty is a 1964 agreement between the U.S and Canada that controls the Columbia River’s flow across the border. It has a major impact on fish, hydro-electricity, flood protection, agriculture, navigation, recreation, and more.
The current treaty has an exclusive focus on maximizing hydropower production and engineered flood control. It ignores Indigenous rights, fish, water quality and the health of the river, principles of good governance, and the reality of present and worsening climate disruption.
After six years of negotiating to ‘modernize’ the treaty, the U.S. and Canada reached an “Agreement-In-Principle” as a high level framework for the new agreement on July 11th, 2024.
Agreement-In-Principle doesn’t do enough for salmon and river health
Unfortunately, the AIP excludes the addition of Ecosystem Function as a third primary purpose, as was called for in the Northwest’s formal recommendations and by Columbia Basin tribes and many stakeholders. In the face of struggling fish populations and climate change, this is unacceptable.
But it’s not too late to make improvements.
We have a crucial window of time before the treaty is finalized.
Northwest Senators and the Biden Administration must do more.
We need your voice to seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity.
Columbia River Basin