About 70 miles upstream of Bonners Ferry on the Kootenai River is the Libby Dam — the main control of flood management for Boundary County.

 Even though the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages the dam and reservoir for flood risk downstream, years like 2012 show that the dam can only hold back a certain amount of water.

The Columbia River Treaty signed by the United States and Canada in 1964 enabled the United States to build Libby Dam, one of four dams built as part of the Columbia River Treaty.

The other dams were built in Canada: Mica, Duncan and Keenleyside (Arrow). The dams doubled the entire amount of storage in the whole Columbia River Basin, said Matt Rea, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Program manager for Treaty Review.

The CRT brings significant flood control and power generation benefits to both the United States and Canada.

The treaty allowed the United States to obtain water storage in Canada to help with flood risk management. Lake Koocanusa extends 42 miles into Canada.

In anticipation of the 60-year mark of the CRT in 2024, the United States is reviewing the CRT to determine if any changes need to be made. Both Canada and the United States have to provide a minimum of 10 years written advance notice if they want to terminate or change any of the provisions in the treaty. The current review by the United States is called the 2014/2024 Columbia Treaty Review.

Changes to the treaty could have a direct and indirect impact on Boundary County.

For flood control benefits, Canada was paid a $64.4 million lump sum by the United States after the Canadian dams became operational. Rea said the sum provided for flood control benefits through 2024 in the entire Columbia River Basin and equated to one-half the value of U.S. flood damages prevented through 2024.

If the United States decides not to continue paying Canada for floodwater storage in advance, the Kootenai River could flow differently. The United States could still call upon Canada for flood storage but would pay for the costs incurred by Canadians.

The United States would have to make the most effective use of U.S. reservoirs before calling upon Canada, said Rea.

Two provisions of the treaty cannot be terminated: coordination on Libby Dam between the U.S. and Canada, and the right of U.S. flood control with Canada, said Rea.

Quick coordination in 2012 allowed the maximum elevation of Lake Koocanusa’s full pool to be raised to minimize flooding in Bonners Ferry. However, without any dams on the Kootenai River upstream of Libby Dam, once Lake Koocanusa reaches capacity, flooding is inevitable downstream.

“We owe it to the residents of the region to operate after 2024 in a way that provides similar flood risk management,” said Rea.

The other aspect of the treaty being reviewed is power generation. In exchange for providing and operating the treaty storage projects for power, Canada receives an entitlement to one-half of the estimated downstream power benefits generated in the United States (called the Canadian entitlement).

“Is it still worth it to pay that?” said Rea. “Is the Canadian entitlement higher than need be?”

If Canadian entitlement was less, Rea explained those resources could be used to meet other priorities, such as lowering energy costs and funding ecosystem restoration projects.

Other issues the treaty review is assessing for the entire Columbia River Basin are the impacts on fish, ecosystems, water supply, recreation, navigation and wildlife.

“Balancing across can be a difficult task,” said Rea.

Ultimately the U.S. Department of State makes the decision on whether to terminate provisions or pursue negotiations and receives recommendations from the Sovereign Review Team, which consists of representatives from four states, 15 Native American Tribes, and 11 federal agencies. The Sovereign Review Team has been meeting monthly since the fall of 2010 and has held dozens of public meetings to gather input.

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