Researchers say

Water sharing between Canada and the United States has long been a controversial issue.

In 2005, former Alberta Prime Minister Peter Lougheed warned Share Canadian water supply Related to the United States, this shows that Alberta's most important resource is water, not oil and gas.

“We should communicate to the United States very quickly,” Lougheed said.

Lougheed's attention didn't appear in the vacuum. It emerged in the long history of the Moisture Declaration, some more radical than others.

Adopting the North American Water and Power Alliance (Nawapa), a huge, abandoned engineering project designed to “reshape” the continent, from the rivers in Alaska through Canada to the United States in northern Montana, through the fall The mountain valley.

These proposals come and go, even if some researchers view Nawapa as a “zombie” project, always resurfaced and never died. Through institutions, boards and treaty management, the actual history of water sharing between the United States and Canada – orderly and bureaucracy.

So when Donald Trump was the Republican presidential candidate Leave a comment In September 2024, there was a “very large faucet” that could turn on Canadian water to help the United States with water shortages, and Canadian hydrologists cheered up their ears.

“It has some inflammatory properties,” said Professor Tricia Stadnyk, president of Canadian Hydrological Modeling Research at the University of Calgary's Shulich University School of Engineering.

“But I think the history of his existence has a proven history… maybe the right word is interested in Canadian water.”

For water experts, fears that climate change and transfer U.S. policies may put pressure on long-standing cross-border water agreements.

A century-old infrastructure is of no help.

For example, Montana’s siphon failed, where water travels from the St. Mary’s River through northern Montana and southern Alberta, providing essential water for some Canadian farm operators and Alberta communities near the border . Repairs of these siphons are now facing a pause in U.S. federal funding under executive orders.

Saskatchewan water scientist John Pomeroy said he was very worried about the problem for three reasons.

First, North America’s water management systems do not meet their requirements for sustainable water supply and management of ecosystems and people, he said.

“Secondly, rapid climate change is bringing greater droughts, floods and losses from snow and glaciers in the mountains, which are changing our basic calculus based on water management,” Pomeroy said.

“Third, the idea of ​​conflict is that one country can occupy another’s water resources and transfer it in its own way.…

“We are breaking down a century of collaboration to solve these problems. When these three people gather, you can see the components of the mainland's disaster.”

Turn on the faucet

Peter Gleick, a climate scientist and co-founder of the California Institute, said the issue has always represented political, economic and environmental challenges.

“The new administration raises some strange challenges with the U.S. and Canada, tariffs and various challenges,” Grick said.

“As far as I know, the water hasn't entered the conversation on the US side…but now he's back to power, who knows what strange thoughts might come up in Washington.”

Grick believes Trump has a “strange obsession” with water, which goes far beyond large faucets and valves, including his long-standing obsession with California water politics.

Trump accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom of escalation after recent Los Angeles wildfires, telling CNN News that in his first administration he asked for “governor acceptance” From the water. north. ”

“The way from Canada, you know, the north. It flows to the right through Los Angeles … from the hills, melting a lot.” “Even without it, even in the summer, it's a natural flow of water. They There would have been too much water, and they didn't know what to do. You'll never have a fire.”

The idea of ​​moving from Canada to Los Angeles is technically expensive and it is difficult to design water, Pomeroy said. Along the way, invasive species and habitats also have great problems.

“I think, with Trump, you see these wild speculations, but they reflect a broader appreciation that the United States is short of water in many areas, including the Southwest, and is approaching the southern part of the Great Plains. Water crisis,” Pomeroy. explain.

“At the same time, climate change is faster than the rest of the world. Our summers are getting drier, which will impose severe water management restrictions and just manage our own water resources.”

Turning on the “very big faucet” is not that simple. Others, including Gleick, did not see water in trade negotiations placed on the dining table.

He said tensions have been around for years, but the common agreement has long ensured that both countries have equitable management of water and avoided problems.

To be sure, these committees cut their work for them.

Wildcards? Grick said Trump brought the people it really wanted Canadian water into his mind.

“And then, it became a political issue. Then the question is, how to manage it?” he said.

Cross-border cooperation

Case studies in cross-border water relations are currently underway in Alberta.

Last summer, a two-century-large siphon erupted east of Glacier National Park near the Canadian-US border. These siphons are a key component of the Milk River project, which transfers water from the St. Mary River to northern Montana and southern Alberta.

This transfer traces its history back to the 1909 border water treaty between Canada and the United States, where the United States will inevitably send water to Canada.

Given the reduced natural flow of the Milk River, the town of Altamir River, located near the U.S.-Canadian border, was forced to ban all non-essential water use. At that time, the mayor of the small community called it a “kancheng Town”.

Repairs for these siphons are underway, despite recent obstacles due to “release of American energy” Executive Order Issued by the Trump administration.

Jennifer Patrick, program manager of the Milk River Control Commission, said repairs are still in progress due to Montana loans, but federal funds have been frozen due to executive orders.

Patrick said she believes the pause is part of a broad assessment of U.S. government spending on multiple infrastructure projects. The review also fell into other regional water projects that provide drinking water to rural areas.

“Our funding is in a dilemma, but we are still very confident that the Home Office will go through the review process and look at how we spend money,” Patrick said. “It’s a great project.”

The infrastructure is important to farmers on both sides of the border, and the Alberta government said it is closely connected with the Milk River, water cooperatives and agricultural operators to help them support it in any way possible.

In a recent interview with Alberta Treasury Secretary Nate Horner Calgary eyeball playerHorner discusses investment opportunities and strategic advantages that a new Royal company can seize, which will oversee Alberta’s Rainy Day Foundation’s policies.

“I’m trying to think about things that will be crucial to us for decades to come,” Horner said.

“I think of … the water challenges in our southern states, freshwater, freshwater infrastructure opportunities and things like that.”

Later, his office clarified that water infrastructure was not an active investment policy. However, the newly formed, length of the estate fund opportunity company could consider choosing to invest in the water infrastructure sector, a spokesperson said.

Nevertheless, Canadians will keep a close eye on repairs and their livelihoods depend on it. For some Canadian water researchers, this is symbolic, that is, awareness of the aging infrastructure and changing climate pressures may put pressure on long-standing treaties.

“None of these treaties can be reopened and discussed during these very dynamic times as water supplies change due to floods and droughts, and the infrastructure used to manage many transfers or allocations is aging,” said Stadnyk, Chair of Research on Hydrological Modeling in Canada. .

As climate change makes Canada drier, managing water becomes increasingly difficult. As glaciers shrink and water demand grows, Canada must play a stronger role in tracking and managing water, especially since access pressures in the U.S. will not be Disappear, no matter who is in power.

“In the future, this will be a huge challenge … We must stay firmly in Canada on the continuous water on Canada,” he said.