Cantwell Statement on New Columbia River Treaty Agreement in Principle
Cantwell has been advocating for a strong, modernized Treaty to manage U.S. & Canada stewardship of the Columbia River over a decade
Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, issued the following statement in response to the White House’s announcement that the United States and Canada have reached an agreement in principle on a modernized Columbia River Treaty:
"There is no way to truly estimate the tremendous economic, environmental, and recreational value of the Columbia River to our state and region. Getting the U.S. and Canada to come together on an Agreement in Principle to modernize and optimize the hydro system for clean power and environmental considerations is a positive step forward.
“The region will need to review and weigh in on the details. But I appreciate President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau reaching a smart agreement to grow clean energy capacity in both countries and create opportunities for future cooperation that could expand electricity generation at a time when the region has big demands for more power.
“I want to express my thanks to Senator Risch for years of partnership pushing for Treaty modernization and look forward to working with him on Treaty ratification if the Northwest region responds positively to the terms.”
This agreement in principle aims to modernize the of the management of the Columbia River to optimize power generation, improve environmental stewardship, and provide reliable river flow. Government negotiators will now work to finalize details of the Treaty and submit a finalized Treaty to the U.S. Senate for ratification.
For more than 60 years, the Columbia River Treaty has been used to cooperatively manage the operation of water resources in the Columbia River Basin for flood control and hydropower. Guided by the Regional Recommendations developed by local stakeholders, the United States entered negotiations with Canada in 2018 to update the Columbia River Treaty to address the changing needs of the Columbia River and to ensure reliable water flows between Canada and the United States.
For more than a decade, Senator Cantwell, partnering with Senator Risch of Idaho, have led stakeholders and the Pacific Northwest Congressional delegation in calling for modernizing and optimizing the Columbia River Treaty.
A full timeline of Sen. Cantwell’s past actions on the CRT is available HERE.
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