SOME LEGAL AND POLICY ASPECTS OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER DISPUTE

Abstract

In order to illustrate how Canada is able to retain the full protection of its interests while allotting to the United States a proper share of the North American resource contained in the Columbia River Basin, the author discusses the basic view of Canadian-United States relations that supports his argument. He focuses on considerations that complicate the analysis of the Columbia River question: 1) the socio-political context of Canada-U.S. relations; 2) the evolving rules of international law regarding multi-national rivers; and 3) the problems of federalism in both countries. He seeks to illuminate resolutions notwithstanding these complications.