LIMA — Top officials in both Canada and the United States are pushing for the need to finalize the Columbia River Treaty to manage water flowing between the two countries before the administration change in America.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly told reporters in Lima, Peru, that much can be accomplished to get the treaty passed through Congress before president-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.

Joly is attending an APEC meeting in Peru and says she met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday to discuss the importance of a clear agreement between the two countries on water management on the West Coast.

Blinken says in a statement that he “reiterated the need for the United States and Canada to finalize a modernized Columbia River Treaty” during their meeting.

In June, Prime Minster Justin Trudeau and President Joe Biden announced an agreement in principle to modernize the treaty, which Trudeau said would allow continued flood-risk management and co-operation on hydro power on the river.

At a news conference in September, Trump claimed that Canada had “essentially a very large faucet” that was sending water into the Pacific Ocean, but that it could be turned around to send water “right into Los Angeles” to help with natural disasters.

The Columbia River runs through British Columbia and down into the states of Washington and Oregon.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 15, 2024

The Canadian Press