Corra Linn Dam
Encyclopedia
Corra Linn Dam is a concrete hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...

 dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...

 on the Kootenay River
Kootenay River
The Kootenay is a major river in southeastern British Columbia, Canada and the northern part of the U.S. states of Montana and Idaho. It is one of the uppermost major tributaries of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...

 in the Canadian province
Provinces and territories of Canada
The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...

 of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

. It is located where the West Arm Kootenay Lake
Kootenay Lake
Kootenay Lake is a lake located in British Columbia, Canada and is part of theKootenay 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 the ecosystem in and around the water...

 flows into the Kootenay River. The dam's powerplant has a generating capacity of 49 MW. The dam was formerly owned by West Kootenay Power. Since 2003 its owned by FortisBC
FortisBC
FortisBC Inc is an electric power and gas distribution/retail company in the Canadian province of British Columbia and a subsidiary of Fortis Inc. Newfoundland-based Fortis Inc...

.

History

Before the dam was built the location was the site of Corra Linn Rapids. For the six year period after it was built, the dam was not permitted to raise the level of Kootenay lake. It operated as a run of the river hydroelectric plant allowing the spring freshet to pass downstream. After devastating floods to Idaho farmlands in 1938, the International Joint Commission granted two approvals.

The first allowed excavation to the outlet of the lake at Grohman Narrows. In 1939 334,585 cubic yards of gravel and 17,927 cubic yards of rock was removed, this includes rock bluffs on the south side of the river. The narrows was made deeper and wider allowing for a greater drawdown of the lake during the winter and a greater flow during spring freshet. Even after excavation Grohman Narrows continues to limit outflow from the lake. During the 1961 flood the level of the lake was 3 metres above the maximum level of the dam, due to water held back at the narrows. Models indicate the lake would have been almost 2 metres higher without the excavation. Between 2005 and 2010 BC Hydro
BC Hydro
The BC Hydro and Power Authority is a Canadian electric utility in the province of British Columbia generally known simply as BC Hydro. It is the main electric distributor, serving 1.8 million customers in most areas, with the exception of the Kootenay region, where FortisBC, a subsidiary of Fortis...

 has considered more excavation at the narrows as a potential "Resource Smart" project.

The second approval permitted the dam to be used to raise the level of Kootenay Lake by 2 metres, thus forming a reservoir for flood control and hydro power.

Water Levels

After the 1948 Vanport Oregon flood, the Columbia River Treaty
Columbia River Treaty
The Columbia River Treaty is an agreement between Canada and the United States of America on the development and operation of dams in the upper Columbia River basin for power and flood control benefits in both countries. For more information about the Columbia River Treaty, visit Columbia Basin...

 in 1961 led to the construction of flood control dams to regulate water flowing into Kootenay Lake. Duncan Dam
Duncan Dam
Duncan Dam is a dam spanning the Duncan River in the Canadian province of British Columbia.Duncan Dam was the first dam built to satisfy the Columbia River Treaty, initiated after the 1948 Vanport Oregon flood. Construction began in 1965 and was completed in 1967. It is an earthfill dam with no...

 in 1967 and Libby Dam
Libby Dam
Libby Dam is a dam on the Kootenai River in the U.S. state of Montana.Dedicated on August 24, 1975, Libby Dam spans the Kootenai River upstream from the town of Libby, Montana. Libby Dam is tall and long. Lake Koocanusa is the name of the reservoir behind the dam; it extends upriver from...

 in 1975. The resulting constant supply of water led to the dam being bypassed by the larger, more efficient Kootenay Canal
Kootenay Canal
The Kootenay Canal is 19km 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...

in 1976. Kootenay basin reservoirs provide nearly 7000000 acre.ft of storage which constitutes almost half of the 15500000 acre.ft stored in Columbia River Treaty reservoirs.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK