HomeBureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Remarks & Releases…Details About the Key Elements Agreed Between the United States and Canada Regarding Modernization of the Columbia River Treaty Regime hide Details About the Key Elements Agreed Between the United States and Canada Regarding Modernization of the Columbia River Treaty Regime July 26, 2024 This web page provides supplemental details regarding the “Summary of the Agreement in Principle to Modernize the Columbia River Treaty Regime,” available at https://www.state.gov/summary-of-the-agreement-in-principle-to-modernize-the-columbia-river-treaty-regime/ *The term “agreement in principle” refers to a milestone in negotiations. Elements of an agreement in principle do not have the force of law. It means the United States and Canada have reached a meeting of the minds on core issues and have a roadmap for drafting text of a treaty amendment and related arrangements. Preplanned Flood Control: Following entry into force, Canada will provide the United States with 3.6 MAF of preplanned flood risk management (FRM) storage at Arrow Lakes. The United States and Canada are working to identify arrangements to implement the preplanned FRM for the upcoming flood season (spring of 2025). Compensation to Canada for Flood Control: Annual payments will be made to Canada 1) Preplanned FRM payments are anticipated to be $37.6 million and indexed to inflation, using the consumer price index (CPI), through 2044. This compensation will be owed the first year Canada provides the preplanned FRM. 2) The United States also recognizes that we receive additional benefits from preplanned FRM in Canadian reservoirs and will provide an additional $16.6 million to Canada annually once the modernized agreement enters into force, indexed to inflation using the CPI, through 2044. Canadian Entitlement: The Canadian Entitlement (CE) for the current (2023-2024) operating year was 1141 Megawatts (MW) in hydropower generation capacity and 454 average MW of energy. The following box is the scheduled glidepath of the CE, which reduces the CE at the beginning of the 2024-2025 operating year (beginning 8/1/24), stabilizing in 2033-2034 at 550 MW of capacity and 225 aMW of energy, and ending in 2044. Operating YearAgreement in PrincipleCapacityEnergy202566030520266603052027660305 20286603052029660305203059027820315732252032565225203355822520345502252035550225203655022520375502252038550225203955022520405502252041550225204255022520435502252044550225 The CE may be further reduced, depending on how much flexibility Canada elects to use, as detailed in the following section. Canadian Flexibility: The Treaty requires Canada and the United States to annually coordinate 15.5 million acre-feet (MAF) of reservoir storage space behind Canadian Treaty dams to optimize hydropower generation in both countries. Canada can elect to reduce the coordinated storage to a minimum of 11.5 MAF in each year through 2039, and 10.5 MAF from 2039-2044 for their own domestic purposes. For every MAF coordinated storage is reduced, the CE that the United States is required to deliver to Canada will be reduced by 6.5 percent. Transmission: The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and Powerex (BC Hydro’s energy marketing and trading arm) will enter into an agreement to allow Powerex to assume (in a manner consistent with BPA’s transmission tariff that applies to other BPA contract-holders) and pay for existing transmission capacity, currently held by BPA to deliver the Canadian Entitlement. New Transmission: BPA and Powerex will conduct a study on expansion of new transmission as envisioned in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (P.L. 117-58), and on the basis of that study, BPA will determine whether to proceed on necessary domestic processes to implement the expansion as authorized in the IIJA. Tribal and Indigenous Advisory Body: The United States and Canada will form an indigenous-led body that will provide recommendations on how Treaty operations can better support ecosystem needs. Flows for Salmon: Canada will provide 1 MAF of water flows in all years and an additional 0.5 MAF in dry years to support salmon survival and migration. Salmon Reintroduction: The United States and Canada acknowledge that the Tribes and Indigenous Nations on each side of the border are conducting salmon reintroduction studies and will coordinate on these studies. The goal is to prevent duplication of effort and to facilitate information sharing. Kootenai/y Transboundary Collaborative Workgroup (KTCW): The KTCW will gather the governments in the Kootenai/y Basin to explore adaptive management in the region for the benefit of the ecosystem and other priorities. The KTCW will coordinate with the Joint Ecosystem and Tribal and Indigenous Cultural Values Body and other forums to integrate Kootenai/y issues with the broader Columbia River Basin. Tags Boundaries and Boundary Waters Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs Canada Treaties and International Agreements Water
