- Nechako Reservoir
-
Nechako Reservoir Location British Columbia Coordinates 53°45′00″N 126°00′10″W / 53.75°N 126.00278°WCoordinates: 53°45′00″N 126°00′10″W / 53.75°N 126.00278°W Lake type hydroelectric reservoir Basin countries Canada Surface area 890 km2 (340 sq mi) Max. depth 305 m Sections/sub-basins Northern arm (Ootsa Lake, Whitesail Lake, Whitesail Reach) and south arm (Eutsuk Lake, Natalkuz Lake, Chedakuz Arm, Knewstubb Lake, Tetachuck Lake) The Nechako Reservoir, sometimes called the Ootsa Lake Reservoir, is a hydroelectric reservoir in British Columbia, Canada that was formed by a diversion of the Nechako River through the Kitimat Ranges of the Coast Mountains to sea level at Kemano to provide power for the aluminum smelter at Kitimat. It was one of the biggest reservoirs built in Canada to date, until the completion of the Columbia Treaty Dams and the W.A.C. Bennett Dam that created Lake Williston.
The creation of the reservoir flooded the series of lakes which typified the upper Nechako basin and in the process rendered the Quanchus Range, 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, Whitesail Lake, and Whitesail Reach, the south arm Eutsuk Lake, Natalkuz Lake, Chedakuz Arm, Knewstubb Lake, 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 and Entiako Provincial Park both border the reservoir.
References
- "Nechako Reservoir". BC Geographical Names. http://apps.gov.bc.ca/pub/bcgnws/names/9151.html.
External Links
- "Engineers Invade Another Wilderness - Huge Canadian Power Project Marks 20th Century Frontier Boom" , by Richard Neuberger detailed 1951 Popular Science article on the Kemano Hydro Project
Interbasin water diversions in Canada Water diversions Alouette-Stave • Barrière • Bay d'Espoir • Boyd–Sakami • Bridge River-Seton Lake • Campbell–Heber • Churchill–Southern Indian Lake • Columbia-Kootenay (canal) • Coquitlam–Buntzen • Cypress Lake • Daisy Lake-Squamish (Cheakamus) • Deer Lake • Ingram River • Jordan River • Lac de la Frégate • Laforge • Lake Manouane • Long Lake • Mégiscane River • Nechako Diversion (Kenney Dam-Kemano) • Ogoki River • Opasatika River • Pasquia • Root River • Saint John Water Supply • Sault aux Cochons • Smallwood Reservoir (Julian, Kanairiktok & Naskaupi) • Swift Current • Vernon Irrigation • Wahleach • Wellington Lake • Wreck CoveProposed Hydrography of British Columbia Rivers Lakes Coastal features Categories:- Reservoirs in Canada
- Nechako Country
- British Columbia Interior geography stubs
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
