Tribal Perspectives on the Columbia River Treaty Paul Lumley (Yakama), Executive Director Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission 1 First Foods Salmon Berries Water Game Roots “…the right of taking fish at all usual and accustomed places, in common with the citizens of the Territory, and of erecting temporary buildings for curing them, together with the privilege of hunting, gathering roots and berries....” —1855 Treaty with the Yakama Nation Salmon Decline Columbia River salmon (chinook, steelhead, sockeye, coho, and chum) Commonly referenced returns of 12-16 million salmon, which refers to the range of the mean of average returns over time. In years of high sockeye abundance, the total returns to the Basin are estimated to have exceeded 30 million salmon. millions of fish 1,754,334 Celilo Falls Tribal Fishery On the Columbia River near The Dalles, Oregon (inundated by The Dalles Dam in 1957) Tribal Villages and Fishing Sites Destroyed by Dams and Reservoirs Big River Big Dams The tribes never anticipated massive changes to the river when the treaties were signed in 1855. Our treaties are contracts with the United States. We reserved our rights to the First Foods. Vanport Flood The Columbia River flooded in 1948, completely wiping out Vanport, Oregon Note: this city was built in a floodplain without adequate flood protection (levees) Columbia River Treaty Mica Treaty came into force in Duncan 1964, no end date Keenleyside Libby Canada builds three dams, US builds Libby – no passage Twin goals: - optimize hydropower - coordinate flood control Treaty may be terminated with 10 years notice Tribes not consulted, no fish & wildlife coordination US Corps of Engineers dam Other dam US Bureau of Reclamation dam 18 River Level at The Dalles Dam lower summer flow flow pushed earlier in the year Permanent Floods Created Upriver to Protect Portland from Flooding Relocating a Church from Waldo Mica Dam built in 1973 Kinbasket Reservoir Now under Koocanusa Reservoir Drawdown Effects Vanport Flood, near Portland Columbia Basin Tribes 15 tribes with management authorities and responsibilities affected by the Columbia River Treaty 2009 - Formed 2010 - Common Views 2011 - First Nations G2G Broad Regional Consensus Achieved: Modify the Treaty (U.S. Entity Dec 13, 2013) Recommendation Elements: Add ecosystem-based function Restore fish passage to historical locations Recalculate Canadian Entitlement (~$300m) Address flood risk management post-2024 Recognize Water Supply Interests Adapt for Climate Change impacts Implementing Ecosystem-based Function Regional Recommendation integrates ecosystem- based function by: Building upon current operations Incorporating existing Treaty flow augmentation Accommodating modifications to flow augmentation Incorporating dry year strategy Ensuring that modernized operations do not interfere with fish passage and reintroduction opportunities Rethinking Floods Floods are natural, good and healthy for a river system. If you don’t want to be flooded, don’t move into a flood plain. These are permanent floods behind all these dams, to keep Portland dry. Dislocated tribal communities, damaged culture and a wrecked ecosystem. Was this a good deal? Now is the time to reconsider Flood Risk Management Focusing on the role floodplain management and restoration plays in salmon restoration efforts Portland, October 18-20, 2016 Role floods play in ecosystem health Impacts of flood control on the ecosystem Benefits of floodplain restoration Alternative flood control management to benefit fish Climate change impacts on floodplains Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in understanding and restoring floodplains 1,000,000 1,500,000 2,000,000 2,500,000 500,000 0 1938 Coho 1945 1952 Sockeye 1959 1966 1973 Steelhead 1980 1987 Chinook 1994 2001 2008 2015 Tribal elders taught us that if we take care of the First Foods, the First Foods will take care of us.