The Nechako Reservoir, sometimes called the Ootsa Lake Reservoir, is a
hydroelectric reservoir in
British Columbia, Canada
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, for ...
that was formed by the
Kenney Dam
Kenney may refer to:
* Kenney (name)
Places United States communities
* Kenney, Illinois
* Kenney, Texas
Geographical features
* Hotel Kenney, Rideau Lakes, Ontario, Canada
* Kenney Dam, a hydroelectric dam on the Nechako River, British Col ...
making a diversion of the
Nechako River
The Nechako River arises on the Nechako Plateau east of the Kitimat Ranges of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, and flows north toward Fort Fraser, then east to Prince George where it enters the Fraser River. "Nechako" is an angli ...
through a 16-km intake tunnel in the
Kitimat Ranges
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, photo_caption = Lax Kw'alaams backdropped by Mount McNeil
, map =
, map_image = BC-relief_Kitimatranges.png
, map_caption = Kitimat Ranges ...
of the
Coast Mountains
The Coast Mountains (french: La chaîne Côtière) are a major mountain range in the Pacific Coast Ranges of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia ...
to the 890 MW
Kemano Generating Station
The Kemano Generating Station is situated 75 km (47 mi) southeast of Kitimat in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It was completed in 1954, providing hydroelectricity for Alcan's Kitimat aluminium smelting, Aluminum smelter. The ...
at sea level at
Kemano
Kemano was a settlement situated 75 km (47 mi) southeast of Kitimat in the province of British Columbia in Canada. It was built to service a hydroelectric power station, built to provide energy for Alcan to smelt aluminum from its ore. ...
to service the then-new
Alcan
Alcan was a Canadian mining company and aluminum manufacturer. It was founded in 1902 as the Northern Aluminum Company, renamed Aluminum Company of Canada in 1925, and Alcan Aluminum in 1966. It took the name Alcan Incorporated in 2001. During t ...
aluminum smelter
Aluminium (aluminum in AmE, American and CanE, Canadian English) is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately o ...
at
Kitimat
Kitimat is a district municipality in the North Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of the Regional District of Kitimat–Stikine regional government. The Kitimat Valley is part of the most populous urban distr ...
. When it was constructed on the Nechako River in 1952, it resulted in the relocation of over 75 families. It was one of the biggest reservoirs built in Canada until the completion of the
Columbia Treaty Dams
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 ...
and the
W.A.C. Bennett Dam
The W. A. C. Bennett Dam is a large hydroelectric dam on the Peace River in northern British Columbia, Canada. At high, it is one of the world's highest earth fill dams. Construction of the dam began in 1961 and culminated in 1968. At the dam ...
that created
Lake Williston
Williston Lake is a reservoir created by the W. A. C. Bennett Dam and is located in the Northern Interior of British Columbia, Canada.
Geography
The lake fills the basin of the upper Peace River, backing into the Rocky Mountain Trench which is whe ...
. The water level may swing 10 feet between 2790 and 2800 feet.
The damming "linked the rivers and lakes of Ootsa, Intata, Whitesail, Chelaslie, Tetachuck, Tahtsa and Natalkuz into the reservoir with a surface area of over 90,000 hectares." "The water of these lakes and rivers was diverted westward to the Pacific Ocean, instead of eastward to the Fraser River."
The creation of the reservoir flooded the series of lakes which typified the upper Nechako basin and in the process rendered the
Quanchus Range
The Quanchus Range is a subrange of the Nechako Plateau in the Interior of British Columbia, Canada, located on the north end of Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area. It is almost completely an island after the creation of the Nech ...
, which lies between the north and south arms of the reservoir, a virtual island. The names of lakes amalgamated into the reservoir are perpetuated as names for the various stretches of water. The north arm includes
Ootsa Lake
The Nechako Reservoir, sometimes called the Ootsa Lake Reservoir, is a hydroelectric reservoir in British Columbia, Canada that was formed by the Kenney Dam making a diversion of the Nechako River through a 16-km intake tunnel in the Kitimat Ranges ...
, Whitesail Lake, and Whitesail Reach, the south arm Eutsuk Lake, Natalkuz Lake, Chedakuz Arm,
Knewstubb Lake
Knewstubb Lake is an arm or stretch of the Ootsa Lake Reservoir in the Nechako Country of the western British Columbia Interior, Central Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It forms part of the south arm of the reservoir, which includes adjoin ...
, Tetachuck Lake and others. Because Ootsa Lake is the largest of the original lakes its name is sometimes used for the whole reservoir, though the official name remains Nechako Reservoir.
Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area
Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, which along with Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park and Entiako Provincial Park were once part of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, then B. C.'s largest ...
and
Entiako Provincial Park
Entiako Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada, located on the south flank of the Nechako River watercourse .
History
In 1956, the boundaries of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park
Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park is a provinc ...
both border the reservoir.
Impact
Cheslatta Dakelh (Carrier)
For many generations, the shores of Ootsa Lake were home to the
Cheslatta Carrier Nation
The Cheslatta Carrier Nation or Cheslatta T'En (pronounced chez-la-ta), of the Dakelh (pronounced ) or Carrier people (Ta-cullies, meaning "people who go upon water", whose traditional lands where originally where the Kitimat Kemano Project I was ...
. The flooding of Nechako Canyon destroyed their traditional hunting and fishing grounds and their homes.
Salvage archaeology
In the late 1940s, University of British Columbia professor
Charles Edward Borden
Charles Edward Borden; also Carl Borden; (15 May 1905 – 25 December 1978) was an American- born Canadian professor of archaeology at the University of British Columbia and the author of seminal works on archaeology, pre-history and pre-conta ...
shifted his attention toward urgent salvage archaeology in the Nechako Canyon after learning that ALCAN planned on flooding the Nechako Canyon to supply power for their smelter in Kitimat (known as Kemano I Project). In 1951 Borden and his protégé, anthropology student,
Wilson Duff
Wilson Duff (March 23, 1925 in Vancouver – August 8, 1976) was a Canadian archaeologist, cultural anthropologist, and museum curator.
He is remembered for his research on First Nations cultures of the Northwest Coast, notably the Tsimshian, Gitx ...
located over 130 sites of importance to Cheslatta T'en history. They conducted more intensive investigations prior to the flooding of the area. The damming triggered "devastating changes for First Nations communities whose traditional territories lay in their path, including the destruction of Aboriginal gravesites, territories, livelihoods, and archaeological sites." In 1957, Alcan opened the gate of the spillway to Skin's Lake desecrating Cheslatta graves, which came to public attention during the
Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples
The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) was a Canadian royal commission established in 1991 with the aim of investigating the relationship between Indigenous peoples in Canada, the Government of Canada, and Canadian society as a whole. ...
.
Kemano Completion Project
In the 1970s Alcan proposed expanding the generating capacity at their Kemano Powerhouse by diverting more water from the Nechako Reservoir. No additional dams would be required and no additional flooding would take place. However, the project was cancelled by the Provincial Government in 1995 on account of environmental concerns in the Nechako River. A second power tunnel between the reservoir and the powerhouse, intended for use in the project, is scheduled to be completed in 2020 but will only serve as a backup to the original tunnel.
See also
*
List of tributaries of the Fraser River
This is a partial listing of tributaries of the Fraser River. Tributaries and sub-tributaries are hierarchically listed in upstream order from the mouth of the Fraser River. The list may also include streams known as creeks and sloughs. Lakes are ...
*
Kenney Dam
Kenney may refer to:
* Kenney (name)
Places United States communities
* Kenney, Illinois
* Kenney, Texas
Geographical features
* Hotel Kenney, Rideau Lakes, Ontario, Canada
* Kenney Dam, a hydroelectric dam on the Nechako River, British Col ...
Citations
References
*
*
*
* Detailed and illustrated
Popular Science
''Popular Science'' (also known as ''PopSci'') is an American digital magazine carrying popular science content, which refers to articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. ''Popular Science'' has won over 58 awards, incl ...
article on the Kemano Hydro Project.\
*
*
External links
* Detailed and illustrated
Popular Science
''Popular Science'' (also known as ''PopSci'') is an American digital magazine carrying popular science content, which refers to articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. ''Popular Science'' has won over 58 awards, incl ...
article on the Kemano Hydro Project
{{British Columbia hydrography
Reservoirs in British Columbia
Nechako Country
Range 4 Coast Land District