For the first 60 years of the Columbia River Treaty (Treaty) the United States paid up front for a preplanned amount of Flood Risk Management storage in Canadian reservoirs. As of September 16, 2024, the operations under the Treaty for that preplanned space in Canada are no longer in force. The United States can continue accessing storage space in Canada for FRM after September 2024, but the access will look different than the first 60 years of the Treaty. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation must continue operating and maintaining federal projects to meet all Congressionally authorized responsibilities. The U.S. Government is prepared to, and if needed, will implement real-time flood risk management (FRM) operations.
Until a new Treaty regime enters into force, the United States and Canada will be in an interim period, prompting the need for a new operating plan for FRM. USACE has worked with Canada to secure the 3.6 MAF of preplanned FRM storage for 2025.
The 2025 planned operations include Canada providing 3.6 MAF of preplanned FRM storage at Hugh Keenleyside Dam, which is consistent with the July agreement in principle. If U.S. FRM reservoirs and the 3.6 MAF of preplanned space in Canada are insufficient to address U.S. flooding, the U.S. will exercise its right to “call” Canada for additional space under the Columbia River Treaty.
USACE and Reclamation explained the potential changes to river flows and reservoir storage under this new dynamic during virtual public information sessions Dec. 4 & 5, 2024.
December 5, 2024 virtual public info session: