Revelstoke Dam

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dam_name=Revelstoke Dam


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Revelstoke Dam, also known as Revelstoke Canyon Dam, is a hydroelectric dam spanning the Columbia River, 5 km north of Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. The powerhouse was completed in 1984 and has a generating capacity of 1980 MW. Four generating units were installed initially, with room for two more, which would bring capacity to 2760 MW. The reservoir behind the dam is named Revelstoke Lake. The dam is operated by BC Hydro.

Areas inundated

Areas inundated by the dam include the Dalles des Morts or "Death Rapids", which was the stretch of canyon just above the dam's location, and various small localities located along the pre-inundation route of the Big Bend Highway, which was the original route of the Trans-Canada Highway until the building of its Rogers Pass section. Just below the dam was the location of La Porte, one of the boomtowns of the Big Bend Gold Rush and the head of river navigation via the Arrow Lakes and Columbia River from Marcus, Washington. Just below the site of La Porte is the former town of Downie Creek, also a Big Bend Gold Rush boomtown but which survived into the days of the Big Bend Highway as a stopping-point .

Expansion

BC Hydro is currently seeking regulatory approval to build a fifth generating unit at the Revelstoke Dam. This would add 500 MW of capacity to the dam. BC Hydro hopes to have the fifth unit online by 2010. [http://www.bchydro.com/info/epi/epi31090.html]

See also

*Mica Dam
*Keenleyside Dam
*Hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River

External links and references

* [http://www.bchydro.com/recreation/southern/southern1205.html BC Hydro Revelstoke Dam Visitor Centre page]
* [http://www.bchydro.com/info/system/system15276.html BC Hydro regional power generation info]
* [http://www.bchydro.com/info/epi/epi31090.html BC Hydro information on fifth generating unit]