Climate Change and the Columbia River Treaty
The year 2014 is a key date for the potential re-negotiation of the Columbia River Treaty between the United States and Canada. The Treaty coordinates hydropower operations at 14 mainstem and multiple tributary dams, with the dual goals of maximizing flood control and electrical power generation. In...
Main Author: | |
---|---|
Format: | Text |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
UW Law Digital Commons
2012
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/wjelp/vol2/iss1/2 https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=wjelp |
id |
ftuwashingtonsl:oai:digitalcommons.law.uw.edu:wjelp-1014 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftuwashingtonsl:oai:digitalcommons.law.uw.edu:wjelp-1014 2023-05-15T16:15:48+02:00 Climate Change and the Columbia River Treaty Osborn, Rachael Paschal 2012-06-01T07:00:00Z application/pdf https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/wjelp/vol2/iss1/2 https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=wjelp unknown UW Law Digital Commons https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/wjelp/vol2/iss1/2 https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=wjelp Washington Journal of Environmental Law & Policy Water Law text 2012 ftuwashingtonsl 2022-05-30T16:18:41Z The year 2014 is a key date for the potential re-negotiation of the Columbia River Treaty between the United States and Canada. The Treaty coordinates hydropower operations at 14 mainstem and multiple tributary dams, with the dual goals of maximizing flood control and electrical power generation. In 2024, either party may terminate, with ten years’ notice to the other. Regardless of termination, a key Treaty provision will change, requiring the United States to maximize use of its reservoirs before asking Canada to do the same, leading to deeper drawdowns in Grand Coulee’s Lake Roosevelt and other major reservoirs and potential water shortages for agriculture, hydropower generation, and instream flows for endangered salmon. Native American Tribes, First Nations, and British Columbia residents view Treaty amendment as a means to redress uncompensated historic losses associated with massive hydroelectric development of the watershed. Compounding these issues, global warming will substantially alter Columbia River hydrology, as melting glaciers and reduced snowpack exacerbate winter-spring floods and reduced instream flows and water quality degradation during summer. The United States and Canada should renegotiate a new Columbia River Treaty, recognizing the sovereign rights and interests of Tribes and First Nations. The new treaty must focus on addressing the hydrologic changes caused by global warming and achieving much needed river restoration. Text First Nations UW Law Digital Commons (University of Washington) Canada British Columbia ENVELOPE(-125.003,-125.003,54.000,54.000) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
UW Law Digital Commons (University of Washington) |
op_collection_id |
ftuwashingtonsl |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Water Law |
spellingShingle |
Water Law Osborn, Rachael Paschal Climate Change and the Columbia River Treaty |
topic_facet |
Water Law |
description |
The year 2014 is a key date for the potential re-negotiation of the Columbia River Treaty between the United States and Canada. The Treaty coordinates hydropower operations at 14 mainstem and multiple tributary dams, with the dual goals of maximizing flood control and electrical power generation. In 2024, either party may terminate, with ten years’ notice to the other. Regardless of termination, a key Treaty provision will change, requiring the United States to maximize use of its reservoirs before asking Canada to do the same, leading to deeper drawdowns in Grand Coulee’s Lake Roosevelt and other major reservoirs and potential water shortages for agriculture, hydropower generation, and instream flows for endangered salmon. Native American Tribes, First Nations, and British Columbia residents view Treaty amendment as a means to redress uncompensated historic losses associated with massive hydroelectric development of the watershed. Compounding these issues, global warming will substantially alter Columbia River hydrology, as melting glaciers and reduced snowpack exacerbate winter-spring floods and reduced instream flows and water quality degradation during summer. The United States and Canada should renegotiate a new Columbia River Treaty, recognizing the sovereign rights and interests of Tribes and First Nations. The new treaty must focus on addressing the hydrologic changes caused by global warming and achieving much needed river restoration. |
format |
Text |
author |
Osborn, Rachael Paschal |
author_facet |
Osborn, Rachael Paschal |
author_sort |
Osborn, Rachael Paschal |
title |
Climate Change and the Columbia River Treaty |
title_short |
Climate Change and the Columbia River Treaty |
title_full |
Climate Change and the Columbia River Treaty |
title_fullStr |
Climate Change and the Columbia River Treaty |
title_full_unstemmed |
Climate Change and the Columbia River Treaty |
title_sort |
climate change and the columbia river treaty |
publisher |
UW Law Digital Commons |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/wjelp/vol2/iss1/2 https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=wjelp |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-125.003,-125.003,54.000,54.000) |
geographic |
Canada British Columbia |
geographic_facet |
Canada British Columbia |
genre |
First Nations |
genre_facet |
First Nations |
op_source |
Washington Journal of Environmental Law & Policy |
op_relation |
https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/wjelp/vol2/iss1/2 https://digitalcommons.law.uw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=wjelp |
_version_ |
1766001663806537728 |