Spanish Expeditions to the Pacific Northwest

In this episode, we explore the layered history and law of the Pacific Northwest, from Spain’s late eighteenth-century presence at Fort San Miguel on Vancouver Island to modern debates over transboundary water management along the Columbia River. The episode examines how Fort San Miguel became an early European colonial foothold in what is now British Columbia before being abandoned through international agreement, then shifts to the Columbia River Treaty and its long role in coordinating hydropower and flood control between the United States and Canada. We also consider why scholars argue the treaty must be modernized to address climate change, Indigenous rights, ecosystem restoration, and competing agricultural and environmental needs through stronger cross-border governance shaped by scientific data and public input.