| Keenleyside Dam | |
|---|---|
| Location | Castlegar, British Columbia, Canada |
| Coordinates | |
| Construction began | 1968 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Height | 52 m (171 ft) |
| Length | 853.4 m (2,800 ft) |
| Impounds | Columbia River |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Arrow Lakes |
| Capacity | 8.76 km3 (7,100,000 acre·ft) |
| Power station | |
| Turbines | 2 |
| Installed capacity | 185 MW |
| Annual generation | 772 GWh |
Hugh Keenleyside Dam (originally known as the High Arrow Dam[1]) is a hydroelectric dam spanning the Columbia River, 12 km (6.5 miles) upstream of the city of Castlegar, British Columbia, Canada.
The reservoirs behind the dam is named Arrow Lakes extending 232 km (144 mi) north to Revelstoke Dam, and contain 8.76 km3 (7.1 MAF) of reservoir volume. The dam is operated by BC Hydro.[2]
The 853.4 m (2,800 ft) long earth fill and concrete dam was built as part of fulfilling Canada's role in the Columbia River Treaty, and was intended only to control the flow of water in the Columbia River for downstream dams. It was commissioned on October 10, 1968, six months ahead of schedule.[2]
A 185 megawatt (MW) powerhouse, the Arrow Lakes Generating Station, was added in 2002, it produces 772 GW.h annually.[3] The station is owned by the Columbia Power Corporation.
Several towns were dismantled and relocated before their sites were flooded, including Burton.[4]
The dam was named after Hugh Llewellyn Keenleyside, the Canadian ambassador to Mexico, 1944-1947. Hugh Keenleyside served as the chairman of the British Columbia Power Commission and co-chairman at the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority from 1962 to 1969.
The Arrow Lakes reservoir is described by BC Hydro as a "great waterway for boating". The dam is equipped with a navigation lock, which is available at no charge to boaters. However, commercial traffic and floating logs have priority over leisure crafts.[5]
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