Columbia River Treaty: Issues for the 21st Century

Welcome to the proceedings of our ninth annual symposium, Columbia River Treaty: Issues for the 21st Century. Most people are not even aware that there is a unique transboundary river Treaty between the United States and Canada. It was signed in 1964 with a 60-year term, and is currently being renegotiated. The Northwest’s hydropower costs ratepayers one-half to one-third of other U.S. utilities, and is free of greenhouse gases, so we have thought this was a good thing. Only later, after the dams were built, did we realize that when you make big changes in nature, there are side effects—environmental impacts on fish and other wildlife, on Native American tribes and First Nations, and on entire ecosystems. The speakers are all stakeholders who dig deep into what has been learned, and the many challenges and opportunities of a modernized Columbia River Treaty.