by Eileen Delehanty Pearkes on Sunday January 17 2021 It was thought to be a good idea at the time, but the Libby dam was, indeed, a giveaway of local control. Eileen Delehanty Pearkes has been researching and writing about the history and politics of water in the upper Columbia Basin since 2005. Her book on the Columbia River Treaty, A River Captured , was released in 2016. Recently, her travelling exhibit on the Columbia River Treaty, curated for Touchstones Nelson, won a national award from the Canadian Museum Association. Pearkes has agreed to help readers understand the importance of the Columbia River Treaty to the region with another edition of River Talk.