Controversy brewing in B.C. over renewal of international water deal

Fears are surfacing in British Columbia over a call to guarantee water flows to the U.S. under an international agreement controlling Osoyoos Lake levels, the Vancouver Province reports.

The International Joint Commission, a Canadian-U.S. entity established under the 1909 Boundary Water Treaty, will be meeting next week to discuss the terms of an agreement which expires in 2013.

There is also concern the agreement, which had a 25-year term, could be renewed in perpetuity as is more common in other similar Canada-U.S. water contracts.

Guaranteeing flows to the U.S. could mean less water for the Okanagan Valley, in the province’s interior, a concern because water is not only a critical resource for the growing population and tourism, but also for fruit and grape growers and a re-emerging sockeye salmon run.

The Canadian concerns are exacerbated by the effects of climate change, which could bring more frequent droughts to the arid region.

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