Residents near a reservoir in British Columbia are concerned as low water levels, caused by drought and water diversion under the Columbia River Treaty, are causing damage to the region. Ongoing talks between Canadian and U.S. negotiators aim to modernize the treaty as extreme weather poses increased risks.
Residents near a British Columbia reservoir are sounding the alarm as the province continues to send water to the United States under an existing treaty, even as unprecedented low water levels are causing widespread damage to quality-of-life in the region.The Canadian PressThe Hugh Keenleyside Dam near Castlegar, B.C. is shown in this undated handout photo.
"I would say that when it was negotiated in 1961 and entered into force in 1964, it probably was one of the most important, if not the most important, water treaties in the world," said Nigel Bankes, professor emeritus at the University of Calgary's Faculty of Law, whose expertise includes the Columbia River Treaty.
But recent extreme weather such as this year's severe drought in B.C. has exposed problems in the agreement that residents of the Columbia River Basin say need to be urgently addressed.The 230-kilometre-long Arrow Lakes Reservoir, made up of Upper Arrow Lake and Lower Arrow Lake, was created when the Hugh Keenleyside Dam was built in 1968 under the treaty.
She says the low water levels are hampering tourism and recreation on the lake, located about 600 km east of Vancouver. "It's really frustrating to be faced with a situation that feels like there's very little that you can do to fix it," Conroy said in an information session held for West Kootenay residents on Oct. 18, saying her position as the minister responsible for the treaty does not give her a seat at the negotiating table.
"Currently, as I understand it, the dam operators start thinking about flood control operations in February," Bankes said. "So, you need long lead-ups to be able to achieve target flows down in Washington and Oregon. "That, I think, is the biggest issue, and obviously it should be a huge driver for the United States. What amazes me is that they haven't got it figured out now, because 11 months is not a long time.
"I will say that even though we continue to negotiate, there is an emerging acceptance that a modernized must include Canadian flexibility," Gluck said.
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