Coquitlam Dam

Coquitlam Dam
Location Coquitlam, British Columbia
Opening date 1914
Dam and spillways
Height 31 m
Length 290 m
Impounds Coquitlam River
Reservoir
Creates Coquitlam Lake
Surface area 1100 ha

The Coquitlam Dam is a hydraulic fill embankment dam on the Coquitlam River in the city of Coquitlam, British Columbia. It is part of BC Hydro's electrical generation infrastructure.[1]

History

The first Coquitlam Dam, built to raise the water level of Coquitlam Lake by five feet, was begun in April 1904, and completed in 1905. It was built to protect the water supply to powerhouses on Indian Arm, via a tunnel to Buntzen Lake, and also supplied water to New Westminster.[2] By 1906 the original dam was discovered to be leaking, and while repairs were made the leak continued through 1908, until a second dam was completed in 1914. At the time of the tunnel's completion, it was the longest power diversion tunnel in the world.[2] Due to seismic concerns, an embankment dam was built on the downstream side of the original rockfill dam in 2008.[3]

References

  1. ^ BC Hydro: Coquitlam River and Buntzen Lake Watersheds Retrieved on 22 February 2009
  2. ^ a b Will Koop: Coquitlam Watershed History Retrieved on 22 February 2009
  3. ^ BC Hydro: Coquitlam Dam Seismic Upgrade Retrieved 12 March 2009
Water diversions
Alouette-Stave • Barrière • Bay d'Espoir • Boyd–Sakami • Bridge River-Seton Lake • Campbell–Heber • Churchill–Southern Indian Lake • Columbia-Kootenay (canal) • Coquitlam–Buntzen • Cypress Lake • Daisy Lake-Squamish (Cheakamus) • Deer Lake • Ingram River • Jordan River • Lac de la Frégate • Laforge • Lake Manouane • Long Lake • Mégiscane River • Nechako Diversion (Kenney Dam-Kemano) • Ogoki River • Opasatika River • Pasquia • Root River • Saint John Water Supply • Sault aux Cochons • Smallwood Reservoir (Julian, Kanairiktok & Naskaupi) • Swift Current • Vernon Irrigation • Wahleach • Wellington Lake • Wreck Cove
Proposed