Columbia River Treaty impacts region's farmers

BONNERS FERRY — Even though dikes line the Kootenai River through the valley, they cannot keep all the flood waters at bay. Last summer was a prime example with farm fields being flooded because of the high water table.

High water in the Kootenai River is a major concern for farmers and is one of the reasons local officials are paying attention to the Columbia River Treaty Review.

Other reasons are power costs, safety issues, water storage and environmental issues explained Stephen Boorman, city administrator.

“Particularly for farmers, this counts,” said Boorman. “As the saying goes, if you are not at the table, you are on the menu.”

The city of Bonners Ferry and Boundary County will continue to be at the table during the discussions, which started two years ago.

“The only thing is to continue to be at the table,” said Dan Dinning, Boundary County Commissioner. “It could really affect us.”

The Columbia River Treaty is an international agreement between Canada and the United States of America for the cooperative development and operation of the water resources of the Columbia River Basin for the benefit of flood control and power. The treaty was signed in 1961 by the United States and implemented in 1964 after it was ratified by Canada.

The Columbia River Treaty is significant now because 2024 marks the end of sixty years of pre-paid reservoir space for flood risk management from Canada. Either Canada or the United States has to give a minimum of ten years notice for terminating any provisions of the Treaty, which would be in 2014.

Thus, the Columbia River Treaty 2014/2024 Review is underway. The Treaty Review recently completed the second round of analysis and open houses are being held for citizens to provide input.

Open houses will be held across the Pacific Northwest, but locally the open houses will be in mid-May. On May 13, an open house will be held at the city hall in Libby, Mont., at 952 E. Spruce St. from 4-7 p.m. On May 14, an open house will be held in Sandpoint at Panhandle State Bank, 414 Church St., from 4-7 p.m.

At the open houses, attendees can learn how federal agencies manage water in the Columbia River Basin, the history and value of the Columbia River Treaty, and can discuss the potential future of the Treaty and the efforts underway to understand what change could mean to the region.

The open houses will have tables of information on: Columbia River operations and treaty history, Treaty Review purpose and progress, flood risk management, hydropower and Canadian entitlement, ecosystems and the environment, irrigation, navigation and recreation.

There will also be presentations and discussions at each meeting.

For more information on the Treaty Review, visit www.crt2014-2024review.gov.