Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump announced an idea to help with California water shortages last week that involves British Columbia. Trump mentioned at a press conference at his Los Angeles golf course that Canada has a lot of water coming down from the north with the snow caps. According to Werner Antweiler from the University of British Columbia Sauder School of Business, this idea is not new, but it is not practical due to the high cost and lack of a realistic business model.
Antweiler explained that there is a treaty between British Columbia and the U.S. called the Columbia River Treaty that regulates the flow of water across the border. He mentioned that climate change has caused less water to flow south, and there are limitations on diverting water due to it being used for hydro dams and maintaining fisheries.
Trump expressed that a large amount of water from British Columbia goes unnecessarily into the Pacific, and if they redirected it, it could benefit areas like Los Angeles with more water.
Antweiler emphasized that British Columbia and Canada need their own water and cannot spare any for other countries. Negotiating a treaty to reroute water would have to benefit Canada, similar to the Columbia Treaty. Finally, Antweiler suggested that California should focus on better managing their own water resources rather than relying on external sources like British Columbia.
It is important to consider comments like Trump’s with caution, as he may not have the expertise in hydrology or water management to fully understand the complex needs of California’s water supply.
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