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Corra Linn Dam is a concrete
hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...
dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...
on the
Kootenay River The Kootenay or Kootenai river is a major river in the Northwest Plateau, in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, and northern Montana and Idaho in the United States. It is one of the uppermost major tributaries of the Columbia River, the l ...
between the cities of Castlegar and
Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
, in the
West Kootenay The Kootenays or Kootenay ( ) is a region of southeastern British Columbia. It takes its name from the Kootenay River, which in turn was named for the Kutenai First Nations people. Boundaries The Kootenays are more or less defined by the Kootenay ...
region of southern
British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
.


Rapids

The Corra Linn Rapids, named after the Falls of Clyde upper falls of Cora Linn, preceded the dam at this location.


Neighbourhood

The adjacent former train station and neighbourhood were named after the rapids, but the locality has been frequently misspelled as Corra Lynn.


Dam

For the six-year period after the 1932 opening, the dam was not permitted to raise the level of
Kootenay Lake Kootenay Lake is a lake located in British Columbia, Canada. It is part of the Kootenay River. The lake has been raised by the Corra Linn Dam and has a dike system at the southern end, which, along with industry in the 1950s–70s, has changed th ...
. It operated as a
run-of-the-river hydroelectricity Run-of-river hydroelectricity (ROR) or run-of-the-river hydroelectricity is a type of hydroelectric generation plant whereby little or no water storage is provided. Run-of-the-river power plants may have no water storage at all or a limited amou ...
plant allowing the spring
freshet The term ''freshet'' is most commonly used to describe a spring thaw resulting from snow and ice melt in rivers located in upper North America. A spring freshet can sometimes last several weeks on large river systems, resulting in significant in ...
to pass downstream. After devastating floods to
Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...
farmlands in 1938, the International Joint Commission granted two approvals. The first allowed excavation to the outlet of the lake at Grohman Narrows. In 1939, of gravel and of rock were removed, which included rock bluffs on the south side of the river. The narrows was made deeper and wider, allowing for a greater drawdown of the lake during the winter and a greater flow during spring freshet. Even after excavation, Grohman Narrows continued to limit outflow. During the 1961 flood, the level of the lake was above the maximum level of the dam, owing to water held back at the narrows. Models indicate the lake would have been almost higher without the excavation. Between 2005 and 2010
BC Hydro The British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority, operating as BC Hydro, is a Canadian electric utility in the province of British Columbia. It is the main electricity distributor, serving more than 4 million customers in most areas, with the excep ...
considered more excavation at the narrows as a potential "Resource Smart" project. The second approval permitted the dam to be used to raise the level of Kootenay Lake by 2 metres, thus forming a reservoir for flood control and hydro power. The dam's powerplant has a generating capacity of 51 MW. In 2003,
FortisBC FortisBC is a Canadian owned, British Columbia based regulated utility focused on providing safe and reliable energy, including natural gas, Renewable Natural Gas, electricity and propane. FortisBC has approximately 2,600 employees serving more th ...
bought the dam formerly owned by West Kootenay Power.


Successive dams

After the 1948 Vanport Oregon flood, the 1961
Columbia River Treaty The Columbia River Treaty is a 1961 agreement between Canada and the United States on the development and operation of dams in the upper Columbia River basin for power and flood control benefits in both countries. Four dams were constructed under ...
led to the construction of the flood control
Duncan Dam Duncan Dam is a dam spanning the Duncan River in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Duncan Dam was the first dam built to satisfy the Columbia River Treaty, initiated after the 1948 flood along the lower Columbia, which proved fatal a ...
in 1967, and
Libby Dam Libby Dam is a concrete gravity dam in the northwestern United States, on the Kootenai River in northwestern Montana. Dedicated on it is west of the continental divide, upstream from the town of Libby. At in height and a length of , Libby Dam c ...
in 1975, which regulated water flowing into Kootenay Lake. Most outflow is diverted past Corra Linn along the
Kootenay Canal The Kootenay Canal is a hydroelectric power station, located 19 km downstream of Nelson, British Columbia, Canada. Where the Kootenay River flows out of the reservoir formed by the Corra Linn Dam on Kootenay Lake., a canal diverts water to ...
to the more efficient generating station opened in 1976. Kootenay basin reservoirs provide nearly of storage which constitutes almost half of the stored in Columbia River Treaty reservoirs.


See also

*
List of dams in the Columbia River watershed There are more than 60 dams in the Columbia River watershed in the United States and Canada. Tributaries of the Columbia River and their dammed tributaries, as well as the main stem itself, each have their own list below. The dams are listed in ...
*
List of generating stations in British Columbia This is a list of electrical generating stations in British Columbia, Canada. Hydroelectric List of most of the hydroelectric generating stations in British Columbia. Hydroelectric stations owned by BC Hydro A list of all grid-tied ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Corra Dams in British Columbia Hydroelectric power stations in British Columbia Regional District of Central Kootenay Dams completed in 1932 Dams on the Kootenay River Gravity dams Fortis Inc. Privately owned dams in Canada