Panel moves to join treaty talks

SANDPOINT — The Idaho Lakes Commission voted unanimously on Friday to add its voice to the growing chorus surrounding modernization of the Columbia River Treaty.

The commission moved provisionally to retain the services of Norm Semanko, an experienced attorney and lobbyist for Idaho water users, to assist its staff in representing local interests as negotiations get underway for an updated treaty. The commission also earmarked up to $25,000 for Semanko’s services and consultation.

Those moves, however, will be subject to legal review. It was not immediately Friday whether the commission had the outright authority to retain Semanko or if it would need to put a contract out to bid.

“Because we’re a public agency and we’re spending appropriated dollars for this, we have to make sure that we comply with any statutory requirements,” said lakes Commissioner Darrell Early, an Idaho deputy attorney general.

If Semanko is ultimately retained, he would assist Lakes Commission Executive Director Molly McCahon, a subject matter expert on the treaty, according to commission Chairman Ford Elsaesser.

“I would like someone with Norm’s stature and experience to be with Molly at the table when these issues are being discussed,” Elsaesser said.

Implemented in 1964, the treaty between the U.S. and Canada was designed to prevent catastrophic flooding and enable domestic hydropower operations, the largest renewable energy source for electricity in the country. McCahon said 80 percent of that energy is generated in the Pacific Northwest.

In exchange for storing water in Canada to stave off flooding, the U.S. pays Canada half of the downstream power benefits those flows generate.

However, Canada’s flood-control obligation to the U.S. ends in 2024.

“It switches to what’s called ‘called upon’ and that means we need to ask Canada for storage when we need it. And, at this point, they expect us to use all the reservoirs in our system before we call upon them for help,” McCahon said.

Meanwhile, there is disagreement between the two countries about the Canada’s financial entitlements under the treaty. The U.S. argues it’s paying too much for what it’s receiving, while Canada contends it’s being paid too little. Canada also contends flooding has permanently taken lands and affected fish and wildlife resources.

Negotiations between the two nations officially began in May.

“We feel strongly that there’s a need for North Idaho representation under this treaty to ensure that we don’t get lost in the many issues that negotiators are hearing from throughout that very big watershed,” McCahon said.

Linda Mitchell, vice chair of the commission, asked how current tensions between the two countries over trade could affect negotiations.

“I’ve got to believe in the long term that the benefits of this treaty, which is really a model for trans-boundary water management worldwide, are going to win out,” Semanko said, adding that U.S. and Canada negotiators’ professionalism should keep things on an even keel.

Elsaesser said there will continue to be a downstream thirst for the Pend Oreille Basin’s water that cannot be slaked.

“There will always been demand for our water — the water that we need to be able to enjoy everything about the lake and the river systems up here. That demand is never going to go away. We make a deal that we think is going to last a while, but there is always going to be demand,” he said.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.