US Pauses Water-Sharing Treaty Talks with Canada Amid Trump's Threats and Hostility

The United States has put a hold on negotiations with Canada regarding a crucial water-sharing treaty. This comes amidst Donald Trump's threats to annex his northern neighbor and disrupt major agreements governing relations between the two countries.

The Columbia River Treaty, a 61-year-old pact governing transnational flood control, power generation, and water supply, is currently under review by US officials. This sprawling river originates in southeastern British Columbia and flows into the Pacific Ocean at the Oregon-Washington border. It is one of the largest watersheds on the continent, generating roughly 40% of US hydroelectric power and nearly half of BC's hydropower.

The treaty was first implemented in 1964 following devastating floods that destroyed Oregon's second-largest city and parts of southern British Columbia nearly two decades prior. Under the agreement, Canada is obligated to control the Columbia River's flow through its network of dams, ensuring sufficient water for US hydropower generators and preventing flooding. This arrangement brings the province approximately $200 million (C$288 million) annually.

In return, the US is required to provide Canada with half of the additional potential hydroelectric power generated by dams, which Canada then sells at market rate.

Under former President Joe Biden, the two countries reached an in-principle agreement on a new version of the decades-old treaty in July, ahead of the treaty's September expiration deadline. However, despite efforts on both sides to finalize the deal before Trump took office, the final details remain unfinished, with only a three-year interim agreement in place.

In recent weeks, Trump has adopted an increasingly hostile stance towards Canada, referring to its border as "imaginary," contemplating inflicting "historic financial devastation" on a long-standing ally, and threatening to tear up the numerous treaties between the two countries.

Last year, then-candidate Donald Trump alluded to a "large faucet" in British Columbia that could be turned on to assist a parched California – a statement widely interpreted as a reference to the Columbia River.

Indigenous peoples were excluded from the initial agreement despite the river traversing vast tracts of unceded territory. There were hopes that the multi-year renegotiation of the pact would finally recognize Indigenous rights in Canada and contribute to the restoration of critical habitats for endangered salmon.

While the future of the pact remains uncertain, either nation can withdraw from the agreement with a 10-year notice.

British Columbia's energy minister, Adrian Dix, announced that his government would hold information sessions later this month to inform residents about the implications of the pause. He pledged to "fight ... everywhere, including in these negotiations" amidst hostility from the White House. He expressed concern over the "vicious, anti-Canadian attacks that have been made on us.