The province is hosting two free conferences that will explore the future of the Columbia River Treaty and secure input on alternative future scenarios, and how interests in the Columbia River basin might be affected.

The CRT Local Governments’ Committee encourages basin residents to attend one of these consultation conferences in Golden on March 20 or in Castlegar on March 22.

These are the last consultations planned by the province as it fulfills its commitment to consult with residents of the Columbia Basin to ensure their concerns are heard as part of the provincial review of the CRT, an international agreement signed in 1964 by Canada and the United States to coordinate flood control and optimize hydroelectric power generation on both sides of the border.

Decisions about the future of the CRT could influence how Canada operates local dams and reservoirs for power, and could impact water levels, annual payments from the U.S. to BC, and the amount of hydroelectricity generated in the Columbia Basin.

The meeting in Golden will be held on Wednesday, March 20 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Golden Civic Centre, located at 898 Highway 95.