The Columbia River Treaty (Treaty Between the United States and Canada Relating to Cooperative Development of the Water Resources of the Columbia River Basin) is a treaty between the U.S. and Canada that regulates water resources in the Columbia River Watershed. It includes provisions for hydropower, irrigation, and flood control.

On this page:

Columbia Basin Dams Map. Graphics from the Citizen’s Guide to the 2016 Comprehensive Evaluation. salmonrecovery.gov/news/LinksMapsResources/citizen’s-guide-graphics

Overview

Timeline

1909 – Boundary Waters Treaty between the U.S. and Canada
1944 – International Columbia River Engineering Board formed by the International Joint Commission (IJC) of the U.S. and Canada
1961 – Columbia River Treaty signed
1963 – British Columbia-Canada agreement between Canada and British Columbia
1964 – Columbia River Treaty ratified
1964 – Supplementary agreement to the Columbia River Treaty
1985 – Pacific Salmon Treaty signed by U.S. and Canada
1995 – Columbia Basin Trust Act of Canada
2008 – Columbia Basin Fish Accords to form agreements between the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC), the Colville, Umatilla, Warm Springs, and Yakama tribes, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the Bonneville Power Administration
2014 – Deadline for deciding termination of the Columbia River Treaty in 2024
2024 – Sixty years from ratification of the Columbia River Treaty

Some Basics

These documents provide short summaries of the treaty:

Columbia River Treaty Review – History and 2014/2024 Review Brochure (PDF). Published by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and the Bonneville Power Administration. Revised February 2009. https://www.bpa.gov/news/pubs/GeneralPublications/crt-Columbia-River-Treaty-History-and-2014-2024-Review.pdf
Canada-US Columbia River treaty – This Canadian government website provides information about the treaty.

Treaty relating to international cooperation in water resource development of the Columbia River Basin. United States Department of State. Washington, D.C., 1961.

Key Documents

Columbia River Treaty Protocol and Documents (PDF) – Online text of treaty documents at engage.gov.bc.ca.
Treaty relating to international cooperation in water resource development of the Columbia River Basin. United States Department of State. Washington, D.C., 1961.Columbia River treaty documents: Treaty between the United States of America and Canada relating to comparative development of the water resources of the Columbia River Basin, and the documents associated therewith. Portland, Oregon: U.S. Department of Interior, 1971.
- CONTENTS: Introduction — Map of Treaty and Base System Projects — Treaty and Base System Elevations.
- INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTS: The Columbia Treaty — Canadian note of January 22, 1964 re. protocol — Protocol (annex to exchange of notes) — United States note of January 22, 1964 re. annex — United States note of January 22, 1964 re. attachment — Attachment relating to terms of sale — Canadian note of January 22, 1964 re. attachment — Canadian note of September 16, 1964 re. treaty — United States note of September 16, 1964 re. treaty — Canadian note of September 16, 1964 re. exchange of notes dated January 22, 1964 — United States note of September 16, 1964 re. exchange of notes dated January 22, 1964 — Protocols of exchange of instruments of ratification: United States — Protocols of exchange of instruments of ratification: Canadian.
- UNITED STATES DOCUMENTS: Ratification of treaty — Proclamation by the President — Executive Order No. 11177 Designating a U.S. entity — Determination of United States Entity.
- CANADIAN DOCUMENTS: Canada-B.C. agreement of July 8, 1963 — Canada-B.C. agreement of January 13, 1964 — B.C. Order in Council re. Canadian entitlement purchase agreement — Canadian Order in Council of August 31, 1964 re. ratification of treaty — Canadian Order in Council of September 4, 1964 re. exchange of notes — Canadian Order in Council of September 4, 1964 re. designation of Canadian entity — Ratification of treaty — Canadian entitlement purchase agreement

Organizations and Governments

B.C. Hydro and Power Authority – Referred to as the “Canadian Entity” in the Columbia River Treaty.
Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) – Referred to as the “U.S. Entity” in the treaty (along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers).
Columbia Basin Trust – Columbia Basin Trust Act.
Columbia Power Corporation – Power company of the province of British Columbia.
Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC)
Federal Caucus (SalmonRecovery.gov) – Site with information from ten federal agencies involved in the Columbia Basin Fish Accords.
Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS), U.S. Bureau of Reclamation – The Bureau of Reclamation manages water and power projects in the Western United States.
Global Affairs Canada
Government Accountability Act (GAO) – Reports and Testimonies
Idaho Governor’s Salmon Workgroup
International Columbia River Engineering Board – see International Joint Commission
International Joint Commission – Boundary Waters Treaty.
Natural Resources Canada
Northwest Power and Conservation Council – Formed between Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana with authorization from 1980’s Northwest Power Act. Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act
Pacific Salmon Commission – Pacific Salmon Treaty.
Upper Columbia United Tribes
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Columbia River Treaty – Referred to as the “U.S. Entity” in the treaty (along with the Bonneville Power Administration).
U.S. Department of State

Libraries and Digital Archives

Government Archives

Canada

United States

GovInfo
U.S. Catalog of Government Publications (CGP)
MetaLib – MetaLib is a federated search engine created by the Government Publishing Office to search many government databases at once.

Idaho

See more:

Added by Ronnie Joiner on February 11, 2022. Updated on February 20, 2022.

Columbia River Treaty

Overview

Timeline

Some Basics

Key Documents

More Documents

Related Topics

Columbia Basin Fish Accords