Today, the United States and Canada concluded the ninth round of negotiations to modernize the Columbia River Treaty regime in Washington, District of Columbia. The last round of negotiations was held September 10-11, 2019, near Cranbrook, British Columbia. The United States seeks to achieve a modernized Treaty regime that will ensure the effective management of flood risk; provide a reliable and economical power supply; and improve the ecosystem.

The Department of State leads a negotiating team consisting of representatives from the Bonneville Power Administration, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Northwestern Division, the Department of the Interior, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The U.S. delegation for this round included expert-advisors from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

The U.S. negotiating team considers the input and views from the region’s states, Tribes, community members, and stakeholders who live and work in the Columbia River Basin through a series of town hall meetings. The most recent town hall was held on December 17 in Richland, WA. The next town hall will be scheduled in the coming months.

For more information on the Treaty and upcoming town halls, please visit: https://www.state.gov/columbia-river-treaty/ or send an email to ColumbiaRiverTreaty@state.gov.