Sharing water between Canada and the United States has long been a controversial problem.
In 2005, former Prime Minister Alberty Peter Lougheed warned against Sharing Canada water supply In the United States, he suggests that the most important resource of Alberta was water, not oil and gas.
“We should communicate very quickly with the United States, how firm we are about it,” said Lougheed.
Lougheed's fears did not appear in a vacuum. Appeared in the context of a long history of proposals to divide water, some more radical than others.
Take North American water and power Alliance (Nawapa), massive, abandoned engineering megaprojek, whose goal is the “repetition” of the continent, turning water from rivers in Alaska through Canada to the United States to the United States in the northern Montana by the Mountain Rocky Mountain.
These suggestions come and go, even if Some researchers See Nawap as a kind of “zombie” project, it always returns, never dead. The actual history of the water division between the USA and Canada was much less dramatic-up and bureaucratic, managed through institutions, boards and treaties.
So when Donald Trump, as a republican presidential candidate, Comments In September 2024, due to the fact that there is a “very large tap” that could be included in the drainage of water from Canada to help in American water shortages, the ears of Canadian hydrologists increased.
“There is a bit of inflammatory character in this,” said prof. Tricia Stadnyk, Canadian chairwoman of hydrological research from the Schulich School of Engineering University of Calgary.
“However, I think that there is a demonstrated story that it is … Maybe the right word is” interested “on Canada's water.”
In the case of water experts, they are afraid that climate change and changes in American policy can exert pressure on long -term cross -border water contracts.
And a century -old infrastructure does not help in matters.
Take, for example, a failed siphon in Montana, where the water is directed from the St. Mary through northern Montana and after southern Albert, providing the necessary water to some Canadian agricultural operators and Albert's community near the border. Repairs of these siphons are currently in the face of the federal federal pause based on an executive order.
John Pomeroy, a scientist from the University of Saskatchewan Water, said he was very concerned about where this problem is going for three reasons.
First of all, the regimes of water management in North America do not meet the requirements they need in the field of sustainable supply and water management for ecosystems and people, he said.
“Secondly, a rapid climate change, which brings greater extremes of drought and floods, as well as the loss of snow and glaciers in the high mountains, changes the basic bill on which we base our water management,” said Pomeran.
“Third, the idea of a conflict that one country can take water resources of another country and arbitrarily redirect its own means. …
“We break the centenary of cooperation to solve these problems. When these three meet, you can see the components of the continental disaster. “
Turning taps
Gleick Pyoter, climate scientist and co -founder of the Pacific Institute, California, a research organization that focuses on political, economic and environmental water, has always been a political, economic and environmental challenge that focuses on the water.
“The new administration presented several challenges related to relations with the USA-Tanadies, tariffs, all kinds of challenges that are a bit strange,” said Gleick.
“As far as I know, the water has not yet entered the USA side … But who knows what strange ideas can leave Washington when he returned to power.”
Trump has a “strange fascination” with water, according to Gleick, which goes significantly beyond the high -tap and valves, including his long fascination with water policy in California.
After recent fires in Los Angeles, Trump blamed the governor of California Gavin Newsom for Blazes escalation, informing the American Cable News Outlet Newsmax North. ”
“From the road in Canada and you know in the north. It flows through Los Angeles … Huge amounts coming out of the mountains, from the lonely, “said Trump in January. “And even without him, even in summer, it is a natural flow of water. They would have so much water that they would not know what to do with it. You would never have fires. “
The idea that water can be redirected from Canada to Los Angeles is technically very expensive and would be very difficult for the engineer, said Pomeran. Along the way, there are also big problems with invasive species and habitats.
“I think that with Trump you see these wild speculation, but they reflect the wider recognition that the US … lack of water in many regions, including in the southwest, and are approaching the water crisis in the southern large plains,” Pomerania said.
“At the same time, climate change still warms Canada faster than the rest of the world. And our years become more dry, which will impose serious restrictions on water management, only on managing your own water resources. “
Turning on a “very large tap” is not that easy. And some, including Gleick, do not see how water is placed on the table in commercial negotiations.
He said that there had been tension for years, but joint contracts have long assured that both countries were managing water and avoided problems.
Certainly, these commissions have to cut off work for them.
Wild card? Gleick said that Trump was falling into his head, that he really wants Canadian water.
“So he becomes a political issue. So the question is: how is it managed? ” He said.
Cross -border cooperation
Alberta now has a case study in cross -border water relations.
Last summer, a two-year siphon located east of the Glacier National Park near the explosion of the Canadian border. These siphons were a key element of the Milk River project, which directs water from the St. Mary through northern Montana and after southern Albert.
This diversion follows its story to 1909 Border Treaty Between Canada and the United States, and on it the US undertake to send water to Canada.
Considering the natural flow of the Milky River, the city of Milk River, Alta., Located near the US-CANDA border, was forced to ban any insignificant water consumption. At that time, the mayor of the small community called it “a dry city – literally”.
Repair works are underway on these siphons, although they have recently hit the road blockade because of “releasing American energy” executive order issued by the Trump administration.
Jennifer Patrick, project manager Milk River Joint Board of Control, said that the repairs are still ongoing thanks to the loan from the state of Montana, but the federal money was frozen due to the executive order.
Patrick said that he believes that the break is part of a wide assessment of US government expenditure in many infrastructure projects. Other regional water projects that provide drinking water in rural areas are also attracted in the review.
“Our funds are caught up in it, but we are still sure that the interior department goes through the review process and look at how we spend money,” said Patrick. “It's a good project.”
Infrastructure is important for farmers on both sides of the border, and the Alberty government claims that he was in close contact with the city of the Milk River, water cooperatives and agricultural operators to help them support them in any possible way.
During the last interview with the Minister of Finance Albert Nate Horner on the topic Calgary EyeopenerHorner discussed investment possibilities and strategic advantages that could be occupied by the new Crown Corporation, which would supervise the policy for the Heritage Fund, the Rainy Day fund in Alberta.
“I try to think about things that are important to us for the upcoming decades,” said Horner.
“I am thinking of … Water -related challenges south, our capabilities with fresh water, freshwater infrastructure, such things.”
His office later explained that water infrastructure is not an active investment policy. However, the newly created, longtime Heritage Fund Fund fund fund, which may consider directing investments in water infrastructure areas, if you choose, said the spokesman.
Despite this, the repair will be carefully observed by Canadians, whose maintenance measures rely on it. It is symbolic for some Canadian water researchers about the importance of the awareness that the aging of infrastructure and changing climate pressure can exert pressure on long -term treaties.
“None of these treaties are really resistant to re -opening and discussing in those very dynamic times, in which water supply changes due to floods and drought, as well as the infrastructure that has been introduced to manage many subversions or allocation, there is aging – said Stadnyk, a Canadian chairman of research in the field of hydrological modeling.
Current19:51Donald Trump wants our water. Can Canada protect it?
US President Donald Trump wants to use water in Canada, saying that there is a “very large tap” that can be turned on to exhaust water from north to south and help in American shortages. We look at the issue of water sovereignty – and whether Canada is ready to protect its resources.
By changing the climate, they make Canada warmer and drier, water management becomes even more difficult. Pomeranian, a scientist from the University of Saskatchewan Water, said that with the increase in glaciers and water requirements, Canada must play a stronger role in tracking and managing water, especially since we, pressure on access, does not go away – regardless of who He is in power.
“It will be a huge challenge in the future … We have to stick to the water that Canadian water remains in Canada,” he said.