Coquitlam Dam is a hydraulic fill
embankment dam on the
Coquitlam River
The Coquitlam River ( /koʊˈkwɪtləm/ or /kəˈkwɪtləm/) is a tributary of the Fraser River in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The river's name comes from the word Kʷikʷəƛ̓əm which translates to "Red fish up the river". The na ...
in the city of
Coquitlam
Coquitlam ( ) is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Mainly suburban, Coquitlam is the sixth-largest city in the province, with a population of 148,625 in 2021, and one of the 21 municipalities comprising Metro Vancouver. ...
,
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, ...
. Although it has no powerhouse of its own, its waters divert to
Buntzen Lake, making it part of
BC Hydro's electrical generation infrastructure. It is also one of the main reservoirs for the Greater Vancouver Water District. BC Hydro has released a new document in March 2018 that addresses emergency preparedness and outlines the areas effected should the dam fail as a result of an extreme earthquake event.
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
Indian Arm ( hur, səl̓ilw̓ət) is a steep-sided glacial fjord adjacent to the city of Vancouver in southwestern British Columbia. Formed during the last Ice Age, it extends due north from Burrard Inlet, between the communities of Belcarra ...
, via a tunnel to
Buntzen Lake, and also supplied water to
New Westminster
New Westminster (colloquially known as New West) is a city in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It was founded by Major-General Richard Moody as the capi ...
.
[Will Koop]
Coquitlam Watershed History
Retrieved on 22 February 2009 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.
Due to seismic concerns, an embankment dam was built on the downstream side of the original rockfill dam in 2008.
[BC Hydro]
Retrieved 12 March 2009
The
Port Moody-Coquitlam Railway, no longer operating, was built to assist with the dam's construction.
References
External links
Aerial image of dam, BC Hydro*https://www.bchydro.com/content/dam/BCHydro/customer-portal/documents/corporate/safety/March-2018-Coquitlam-Dam-Emergency-Prep-Map.pdf
Geography of Coquitlam
Buildings and structures in Coquitlam
Dams in British Columbia
Dams completed in 1914
Publicly owned dams in Canada
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