Events - Modernizing the Columbia River Treaty

Upcoming Events

August 22, 2023 - 5:00-6:30 PM Pacific time
Third U.S. Government Columbia River Treaty Listening Session of 2023 - Virtual Listening Session

The Department of State, joined by the Bonneville Power Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Northwestern Division, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, will hold a virtual listening session to engage the public about treaty regime modernization.

Please join us, attend this important event, and show strong public support for an updated Treaty that will help protect the health of the Columbia River for years to come!

HERE’S WHAT TO EXPECT: This is the third Listening Session held by the US Columbia River Treaty Negotiating Team in recent months.

After a brief presentation from the State Department on the status of the negotiations underway between the U.S. and Canada, Listening Session attendees will have the opportunity to speak. Even if you don’t speak in the session, it’s important to show up and demonstrate to federal decision makers that there is strong public interest in a modernized Treaty in the Northwest.

Read more background about the Columbia River Treaty here, and register for the Listening Session now!

Past Events

May 31, 2023 - Second U.S. Government Columbia River Treaty Listening Session of 2023

This was the second public event held by the U.S. Government on the Columbia River Treaty in over three years. Many voices showed up to advocate for fish, ecosystems, and justice. You can read a reflection on the prior April 19th Listening Session from Save our Wild Salmon Coalition Executive Director Joseph Bogaard here.

You can find a recording by scrolling down the U.S. State Department’s Columbia River Treaty website.

May 2-3, 2023 - Bringing the Salmon Home Festival: Virtual sessions on Upper Columbia salmon reintroduction

This year’s Bringing the Salmon Home festival featured six online events over two days, with 35 guest speakers and hosts, and close to 1,000 audience registrations! People tuned in from all over, including from British Columbia, Alberta, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California.

Guest speakers included representatives of the Syilx Okanagan, Ktunaxa, and Secwépemc Nations and US Tribes, and BC and Canada. We heard from an inspiring array of leaders, youth, elders, knowledge keepers, artists, musicians, and scientists.

Bringing the Salmon Home: The Columbia River Salmon Reintroduction Initiative is the Indigenous-led initiative of the Syilx Okanagan, Ktunaxa, and Secwépemc Nations, together with Canada and British Columbia. Salmon are our relatives. They’ve been blocked by dams from returning for over 80 years. This festival affirms our collaborative journey to bring the salmon home to the upper Columbia River for the benefit of all.

April 19, 2023 - First U.S. Government Columbia River Treaty Listening Session of 2023

This was the first public event held by the U.S. Government on the Columbia River Treaty in over three years. Many voices showed up to advocate for fish, ecosystems, and justice. You can read a reflection on the event from Save our Wild Salmon Coalition Executive Director Joseph Bogaard here. You can find a recording by scrolling down the U.S. State Department’s Columbia River Treaty website.

October 4, 2022
Modernizing the Columbia River Treaty: Where do we go from here?

We presented an interactive webinar exploring where things stand for this crucial issue and what our government needs to get done to ensure a positive future. A range of speakers from Northwest NGOs and Columbia Basin tribes will presented and answered audience questions.

You can view the webinar here:

September 27-28, 2022
9th Annual One River, Ethics Matter Conference: Restoring Salmon to the Spokane and Upper Columbia Rivers

Conference details
(recording coming soon)

Indigenous hosts: Spokane Tribe of Indians and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe with support from Upper Columbia United Tribes
Academic host: Eastern Washington University — Small Urban Rural & Tribal Center on Mobility (SURTCOM)
Supported by: Columbia Institute for Water Policy and Sierra Club. For more, see riverethics.org

June 15th, 2022
Exploring Ecosystem Improvements through the Columbia River Treaty
(Recording from the Canadian negotiating team)

This session provided an overview of Indigenous-led research and assessments underway to determine how reservoir and river operations might be modified to improve aquatic and riparian ecosystems in the B.C. portion of the Columbia Basin.

May 16th, 2022
Canada – U.S. Negotiations: Where We Are and What’s to Come
(Recording from the Canadian negotiating team)

This session featured the latest updates on Canada-U.S. negotiations and described the process for modernizing the Treaty in both countries. View the recording to hear from Canada’s Chief Negotiator for the Treaty, Sylvain Fabi, lead members of the Canadian negotiation delegation from B.C. and the Ktunaxa, Secwepemc and Syilx Okanagan Nations, and Distinguished Professor Emerita from University of Idaho, Barb Cosens.