Duncan Dam is a

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 ...

spanning the Duncan River in the

Canadian province Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North ...

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, ...

. Duncan Dam was the first dam built to satisfy the

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 ...

, initiated after the 1948 flood along the lower Columbia, which proved fatal at

Vanport City, Oregon Vanport, sometimes referred to as Vanport City or Kaiserville, was a city of wartime public housing in Multnomah County, Oregon, United States, between the contemporary Portland city boundary and the Columbia River. It was destroyed in the 194 ...

and other locations. Construction began in 1965 and was completed in 1967. It is an earthfill dam with no power generation facilities. It was built as a storage facility, controlling the flow of water from the Duncan River into the

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 ...

reservoir. The reservoir's storage is over 50% greater than Kootenay Lake. The reservoir is usually filled by August. The Duncan river drainage basin is 2,400 square kilometers. The dam regulates 10% of the water in the Kootenay River basin. Duncan Dam and Libby Dam together ensure operational water levels for 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 ...

and

Corra Linn Dam Corra Linn Dam is a concrete hydroelectric dam on the Kootenay River between the cities of Castlegar and Nelson, in the West Kootenay region of southern British Columbia. Rapids The Corra Linn Rapids, named after the Falls of Clyde upper falls ...

projects. Duncan Dam is owned and operated by BC Hydro.Duncan Dam
, Balance of Power

References

External links

* Dams in British Columbia Regional District of Central Kootenay Dams completed in 1967 BC Hydro Publicly owned dams in Canada {{BritishColumbia-struct-stub