Jul 06 2023 29 mins 17
The Columbia River Treaty governs the water that flows from the headwaters of the Columbia
River, through the Kootenays, to where it ends in the United States. It profoundly changed the
Basin, turning once fertile valleys into lakes and altering river ecosystems forever, while at the
same time, preventing catastrophic flooding and generating billions of dollars in hydroelectric
revenue. The treaty that shaped this place is up for renegotiation. We talk to families
disenfranchised by treaty dams, politicians who negotiated ways to mitigate its impacts, and
writers lobbying for a better future.
River, through the Kootenays, to where it ends in the United States. It profoundly changed the
Basin, turning once fertile valleys into lakes and altering river ecosystems forever, while at the
same time, preventing catastrophic flooding and generating billions of dollars in hydroelectric
revenue. The treaty that shaped this place is up for renegotiation. We talk to families
disenfranchised by treaty dams, politicians who negotiated ways to mitigate its impacts, and
writers lobbying for a better future.
