"OTTAWA - The United States and Canada have reached an agreement in principle on modernizing a 60-year-old pact on Columbia River flood control and power generation, and work on draft amendments will begin in the coming weeks, they said on Thursday.

"After 60 years, the treaty needs updating to reflect our changing climate and the changing needs of the communities that depend on this vital waterway," U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement about the treaty, which has been in effect since 1964.

The amendments will aim to "elevate U.S. Tribes' and Canadian Indigenous Nations' voices" and re-balance energy coordination between the two countries, Biden said.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a separate statement, said the modernized treaty would reduce flood risk in communities, advance indigenous priorities, and promote clean energy goals."

Ismail Shakil reports for Reuters July 11, 2024. [2]