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Rethinking the Columbia River Treaty

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Title: Rethinking the Columbia River Treaty


1
Rethinking the Columbia River Treaty
  • John Shurts
  • Transboundary Freshwater Ecosystem Restoration
  • McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento
  • February 18, 2005

2
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3
Columbia River Hydrograph I
4
Columbia flow and the Treaty concept
  • Large within-year variation Average unregulated
    February flows at The Dalles are little more than
    100 kcfs May-June unregulated flows at the same
    point average more than 400 kcfs.
  • Huge year-to-year variation Unregulated flows
    at The Dalles vary from 36,000 cfs (1937) to
    1,240,000 cfs (1937), a 134 ratio. Compare to
    the St. Lawrence 12 and Mississippi 125 ratios.
  • Canada has 15 of the basin area, but contributes
    38 of the average annual flow at The Dalles.
  • In mid 20th century, this is a flood control and
    power problem.
  • Treaty solution Concept is to smooth out an
    inconvenient hydrograph and bring power and flood
    control benefits to the United States through an
    agreement to build storage in Canada, and then to
    share the benefits.

5
Columbia River Hydrograph II
6
Columbia River in 2001
7
Colorado River in 2002
8
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10
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12
Treaty basics
  • Treaty has 21 articles, two annexes and one
    statistical table. These define joint operation
    of the Columbia River system.
  • Treaty has no expiration date, but it may be
    terminated by either country after 60 years
    (2024) provided 10 years notice is given.
  • Treaty establishes a flood control operating plan
    and principles for operating to optimize
    generation no fish and wildlife or other
    provisions.

13
Treaty Entities
  • Treaty requires the two nations to establish
    official Entities for purposes of implementation
  • Bonneville and Corps of Engineers for the U.S.
  • B.C. Hydro for Canada (British Columbia).
  • The Entities jointly prepare in advance
  • Assured Operating Plans (six years)
  • Detailed Operating Plans (one year)

14
Treaty water storage
  • Canada provides 15.5 million acre-feet of storage
    by building three dams
  • 1. Duncan RM 8.3, no generation, completed
    in 1968.
  • 2. Keenleyside/Arrow RM 780, dam completed
    in 1969 170 MW power plant completed in 2002.
  • 3. Mica RM 1018, 1,740 MW, completed
  • in 1973.

15
Libby Dam
  • Treaty allowed U.S. to build Libby on the
    Kootenai River (RM 221.9, 525 MW, completed in
    1973, 1976 (units 1-4 1984, unit 5). Lake
    Koocanusa backs into B.C.
  • Libby added 5 maf of storage, but this is not
    part of the Treaty, nor is it part of what is
    called non-Treaty storage.

16
Basinwide storage
  • Total active Columbia storage 60.2 maf (34
    percent of average annual runoff.
  • Columbia River Treaty storage (15.5 maf) is 25.7
    percent of total basinwide storage.
  • 5 additional maf of active storage at Mica,
    called non-Treaty storage. Non-Treaty Storage
    Agreement set rules for use of this water
    essentially half for BC Hydro to use and half for
    Bonneville but NTSA expired end of June.

17
Money
  • Canada received 64.4 million from the U.S. for
    providing the storage, plus one-half of the
    additional downstream power generation (called
    the Canadian Entitlement and the downstream
    power benefits).
  • Canada sold its entitlement in 1964 for 254
    million to U.S. utilities organized as the
    Columbia Storage Power Exchange. This money
    helped fund construction of the three Treaty dams.

18
Canadian Entitlement/Columbia Storage Power
Exchange
  • Created in 1964 to purchase and market the
    Canadian Entitlement for 30 years.
  • Eight public, three private utilities in the
    Northwest.
  • Sold power to 41 utilities, both public and
    private, many of them in California and the
    desert Southwest.
  • No sales after 2003, when the entitlement
    expired. Return of the Entitlement negotiated.
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