Canada-US Columbia River Treaty: A Review

Abstract

The Columbia River Treaty is an international agreement between the governments of Canada and the USA for the cooperative development and operation of the water resources of the Columbia River Basin for the benefit of flood control and hydropower generation. The Treaty is known throughout the world as one of the most successful models of a transboundary water Treaty and considered as a model of “cooperative development” on an international river system. This article reviews the circumstances that led to the Treaty and key Treaty provisions, including arrangements for Treaty implementation, cooperative Treaty projects and benefits, benefit-sharing arrangements, settlement of differences, and period of Treaty. The intent of this article is to demonstrate the practicality of cooperative development and benefit-sharing mechanism to govern transboundary water resources—as opposed to water sharing or water right—through a successful, 56-year-old Treaty.