Thursday December 12, 2024
Oregon Public Broadcasting —
The U.S. and Canada are working out key details of the Columbia River Treaty. That important agreement details flood risk management along the mighty Columbia, along with other operations. Now, the two governments have drawn up potential plans to help manage the river flow.
“We want to be clear that life and safety is paramount and that we still have a right to access additional storage space in Canada,” said Brig. Gen. William Hannan, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation hosted virtual information sessions on updated flood risk management plans on Dec. 4-5.
For 60 years, the U.S. paid Canada to store a specific amount of water in Canadian reservoirs to help protect people downriver, after devastating floods in the U.S. In 1948, nearly 40% of water in the Vanport Flood came from Canada, according the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.