Brazeau Reservoir
Encyclopedia
Brazeau Reservoir is a large man made reservoir
in Alberta
, Canada
.
It is located in Brazeau County
of central Alberta
, 55 kilometres (34.2 mi) south-west of Drayton Valley.
It was developed along the Brazeau River
, at the confluence with Elk River
, in the hydrographic basin of the North Saskatchewan River
.
. The plant produces 394,000 MW·h per year, with a capacity of 355 megawatts
. Brazeau Reservoir is the largest hydroelectric plant owned by TransAlta.
An unusual feature of this hydroelectric development commissioned in 1965 is a pump system capable of lifting water from the reservoir into the 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) long canal leading to the power plant so that it can operate at low reservoir water levels.
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
It is located in Brazeau County
Brazeau County, Alberta
Brazeau County is a municipal district in central Alberta, Canada. It is located in Census Division 11.The municipality was created on July 1, 1988 from Improvement District No. 222. On October 1, 2002, the name was changed from Municipal District of Brazeau No...
of central Alberta
Central Alberta
Central Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta.Central Alberta is the most densely populated rural area in the province...
, 55 kilometres (34.2 mi) south-west of Drayton Valley.
It was developed along the Brazeau River
Brazeau River
The Brazeau River is a river in western Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the North Saskatchewan River.The river was named for Joseph Brazeau, a linguist associated with the Palliser Expedition.-Course:...
, at the confluence with Elk River
Elk River (Alberta)
The Elk River is a short river rising in the eastern portion of the Alberta foothills. The river begins south of the ghost town of Coalspur and heads East before draining into the Brazeau Reservoir created by the Brazeau Dam on the Brazeau River, a tributary of the North Saskatchewan River.The...
, in the hydrographic basin of the North Saskatchewan River
North Saskatchewan River
The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows east from the Canadian Rockies to central Saskatchewan. It is one of two major rivers that join to make up the Saskatchewan River....
.
Energy production
The dam and hydroelectric plant are managed by TransAltaTransAlta
TransAlta Corporation is a power generation and wholesale marketing company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta.TransAlta maintains a low-to-moderate risk profile by operating a highly contracted portfolio of assets in Canada, the United States and Australia...
. The plant produces 394,000 MW·h per year, with a capacity of 355 megawatts
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
. Brazeau Reservoir is the largest hydroelectric plant owned by TransAlta.
An unusual feature of this hydroelectric development commissioned in 1965 is a pump system capable of lifting water from the reservoir into the 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) long canal leading to the power plant so that it can operate at low reservoir water levels.