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Mica Dam

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Mica Dam is a hydroelectric embankment dam spanning the Columbia River 135 kilometres north of Revelstoke, British Columbia , Canada. It was built as one of three Canadian projects under the terms of the 1964 Columbia River Treaty and is operated by BC Hydro . Completed in 1973, the Mica powerhouse had an original generating capacity of 1,805 megawatts (MW). Mica Dam, named after the nearby settlement of Mica Creek and its associated stream, in turn named after the abundance of mica minerals in the area, is one of the largest earthfill dams in the world. The reservoir created by the dam is Kinbasket Lake . Water from the dam flows south directly into Revelstoke Lake , the reservoir for the Revelstoke Dam . Mica Dam is the tallest dam in Canada and second tallest in North America after the Chicoasén Dam in Mexico and it is the farthest upstream dam on the Columbia River . The dam's underground powerhouse was the second largest in the world at the time of its construction, and was the first 500 kV installation of sulphur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) insulated switchgear in the world.

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14-497: Mica Dam was constructed by BC Hydro as part of three projects, along with Duncan Dam and Arrow Dam , required under the Columbia River Treaty , ratified in 1964. Construction began in 1967, and was completed on March 23, 1973. Mica Dam was operational on March 29, 1973. The dam was built to a height of 244 metres (801 ft) above bedrock, near the first location of the village Mica Creek . The dam operated with

28-465: A 427 km (165 sq mi) reservoir containing 15 km (12 million acre-feet) of live storage and 24.8 km (20.1 million acre-feet) of total storage in McNaughton Lake, later renamed Kinbasket Lake in 1980. The underground powerhouse , begun in 1973, was built to be 54 metres (177 ft) high, 24 metres (79 ft) wide and 237 metres (778 ft) long. In 1976,

42-643: A building or structure in British Columbia is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . 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 BC Hydro 's Kootenay Canal Generating Station . Its construction

56-474: A series of long and short term agreements for using non-Treaty storage. Negotiations for a new long-term agreement began in 2011. If implemented, it would manage non-Treaty storage until 2024. Climate station located just south of Mica Dam at an elevation of 579.10 metres (1,899.9 ft). Kinbasket Lake above Mica Dam normally has unused capacity to store water and Revelstoke Lake below the dam has minimal storage capacity. A proposed pumped storage addition on

70-652: A total of 583 MW . Kootenay Canal and Seven Mile generating stations together supplied 10% of BC Hydro's electricity requirements. Under the terms of the Columbia River Treaty , the Province of British Columbia is entitled to downstream benefits resulting from dam construction. Both the Duncan Dam above Kootenay lake and Lake Koocanusa created by the Libby Dam 200 kilometers upstream in Montana, are covered by

84-649: 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 and Corra Linn Dam projects. Duncan Dam is owned and operated by BC Hydro. 50°15′6″N 116°56′47″W  /  50.25167°N 116.94639°W  / 50.25167; -116.94639 This article about

98-485: The canal and dropping 84 meters through the powerhouse containing four water turbine - electrical generator units, water then returns to the river. Power generated at Kootenay Canal plant is fed into BC Hydro's provincial grid via two lines running south to Selkirk Switching Station, near the Seven Mile Generating Station. In 1999 the four turbines were upgraded and increased the output to

112-450: The first two electrical generators were commissioned, and in 1977 two more were completed bringing the total capacity of the powerhouse to 1,805 MW. Another two 500 MW generators were added and became operational in 2014 and in 2015, giving a total generating capacity of 2,805 MW. The Mica powerhouse delivers its power to Nicola Substation via a 500-kilovolt, 570-kilometre (350 mi) transmission line. A second power transmission line

126-574: The line to a higher elevation, which required constructing four new bridges and a 336-metre (1,102 ft) tunnel. Mica Dam was built to provide 8.6 km (7 million acre-feet) of water storage as outlined in the Columbia River Treaty, plus another 6.2 km (5 million acre-feet), referred to as "non-Treaty storage". Since 1977, BC Hydro and the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) have made

140-572: The side of Mica Dam would pump water into Kinbasket Lake, which would later be used to generate power at Mica and Revelstoke dams. This project was discussed in 2017 as storage for intermittent power from wind turbines in the event that the Site C Dam was cancelled. Duncan Dam Duncan Dam is a dam spanning the Duncan River in the Canadian province of British Columbia . Duncan Dam

154-566: The treaty and result in a constant supply of water into Kootenay Lake, and to the many Columbia River dams downstream. BC Hydro is allowed to divert water from five older hydroelectric plants owned by FortisBC and the City of Nelson . Fortis receives the amount of power their generating stations would have produced. Downstream the Brilliant Dam is in the agreement. On the Pend d'Oreille River

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168-571: Was a result of the Duncan Dam and Libby Dam providing year round flows into Kootenay Lake. The powerhouse was completed in 1976. Water enters the canal from the Corra Linn headpond and for much of the year is diverted 4.5 km past Corra Linn Dam , City of Nelson Powerhouse, Upper Bonnington , Lower Bonnington and South Slocan . By diverting water past the older and smaller dams Kootenay Canal can generate more power due to greater head and more modern generators. After passing through

182-870: Was built to the Meridian Substation near Port Moody , British Columbia, Canada. The creation of Kinbasket Lake submerged parts of the Big Bend Country , a subregion of the Columbia Country . This included a number of small communities along the Big Bend Highway , and the eastern section of that route. Also, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) line ran along the Columbia Valley from Donald to Beavermouth . Consequently, west of Donald, CP diverted

196-516: Was the first dam built to satisfy the Columbia River Treaty , initiated after the 1948 flood along the lower Columbia, which proved fatal at Vanport City, Oregon 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 reservoir. The reservoir's storage

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