Columbia River Basin
Governance in Transition
Public Workshop on the Columbia River Treaty
October 7, 2015
Governance in the Past
 Treaty a commercial agreement
 Flood control
 Hydropower
 Successful commercial agreement
 Limited consultation with affected parties
 Little engagement with First Nations
 No values for ecosystem services
 Limited geographically to the main stem of Columbia River
Governance in the Future
 Multi dimensional Issues
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Flood control
Hydropower
Fisheries
Ecosystem health
Water security
 First Nations have legally embedded constitutional rights
 Hydro climatic change
 Engaged and empowered public interests
Limitations Of Treaty
in Future Governance
 Geographical and policy constraints to mainstem and
reservoir regulation
 Major tributaries such as the Okanagan Similkameen
outside the Treaty
 Fisheries now a central policy issue but outside the
Treaty
 Ecosystem services a key concern of both entities
 Does not consider changing hydrology
Alternative Governance
Models
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Modification of Columbia River Treaty
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Start small– local watersheds
Define ecosystem resiliency and function
Statement of Principles for Framework Agreement
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New flood control agreement
Incremental Trans-boundary Agreements
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Ecosystem values
Changing climate and hydrology
Shared Benefits
Shared decision making with First Nations
Ecosystem function and health
Information sharing; traditional knowledge
Changing hydro- climate
Sub Basin Agreements
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Arrow Lakes
Okangan -Similkamen
Winning Conditions
for Trans Boundary Agreements
 Rallying Cry for the Basin
 Original Columbia River Treaty– Power and flood control
 Great lakes – water quality
 Mackenzie Basin– Aquatic ecosystem and climate change
 Future Columbia Basin—Water Security
 Identified Champion/institutions for an Agreement
 US Tribes and First Nations in support
 Informed and Engaged Public
 Science and data supporting water security
Institutional Roles for
Trans-boundary Governance?
 Columbia Basin Trust
 Northwest Power Conservation Council
 Power Utilities
 First Nations and US Tribes Leadership
 Canadian Government Agencies
 US Government Agencies.
 International Joint Commission
 Academic and non profit interests
Proposed Next Steps
 Communique from this Workshop
 Small task force to seek funding to initiate discussions
 Identification of range of interests for a broader Basin
agreement
 Review best practices in trans boundary governance
 Undertake local scale projects to restore ecosystem values
 Coalesce science and modeling on hydro climate climatic
change
Proposed Next Steps
 Set milestones for progress over the next two years
 Track progress in formal Columbia River Treaty
negotiations
 Present progress report at CWRA conference on trans
boundary issues in June 2017