U.S. Columbia River Treaty Negotiator Jill Smail will lead a town hall on July 18, 2019, in Boise, Idaho, on the modernization of the Columbia River Treaty regime. The town hall, which will be co-hosted with the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NWPCC) and the Idaho Office of the Governor, will be free of charge, open to the public, and will take place in the Lincoln Auditorium at the Idaho State Capitol Building from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
This town hall follows the June 19-20 round of negotiations on the Treaty regime in Washington, DC. U.S. government representatives will provide an overview of the negotiations and take questions from the public. Questions must be sent in advance of the event to ColumbiaRiverTreaty@state.gov. For more information on the town hall, including call-in details, please see the Federal Register Notice .
The Columbia River Treaty is an international model for transboundary water cooperation. The 1964 treaty’s flood risk management and hydropower operations have provided substantial benefits to millions of people on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border. The treaty also has facilitated support for the river’s ecosystem. More information can be found on the Department’s Treaty website.
As the United States continues bilateral negotiations with Canada, our key objectives are guided by the “U.S. Entity Regional Recommendation for the Future of the Columbia River Treaty After 2024,” a consensus document published in 2013 after five years of consultations among the Tribes, states, stakeholders, public, and federal agencies. The U.S. negotiating team is led by the U.S. Department of State, and is comprised of 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.
To receive periodic updates on events and developments related to the modernization of the Columbia River Treaty regime, please contact ColumbiaRiverTreaty@state.gov. For press inquiries, please contact WHAPress@state.gov.