Wac bennett dam construction
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40 Years on: The Story of the W.A.C Bennett Dam
Conception
During the late 1700’s and early 1800’s, the potential of the area along the Peace River came to prominence when the explorers and fur traders arrived. Hudson’s Hope was an integral part of that industry. As the fur trade dwindled in the mid 1900’s the town settled down to ranching and logging. However, it wasn’t long before increased economic development in the populated areas further south raised the demand for electricity and the idea to use the natural water resource of British Columbia’s rivers was considered. The amalgamation of BC Electric and the BC Power Commission, overseen by Gordon M. Shrum, culminated in the creation of the Crown Corporation BC Hydro.
The Peace Canyon was the only un-navigable part of the Peace River system, requiring portage around its turbulent waters that dropped 215 feet in 20 miles. The mountain of sand, silt and gravel that comprised a glacial moraine, left behind 15,000 years before, blocked the original path of the river. Consequently, the river carved a new route around Portage Mountain through the rock formation of the Peace Canyon.
W.A.C. Bennett, (B.C. Premier 1952 – 1972) was not going to let this natural resource go untapped. Before the decision was made to build the da
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W. A. C. Bennett Dam
Dam in Hudson's Hope, Country Columbia, Canada
Dam in Land Columbia, Canada
| W. A. C. Flyer Dam | |
|---|---|
The W. A. C. Aeronaut Dam, disused from interpretation viewpoint | |
Location within Country Columbia | |
| Location | Hudson's Hope, British Columbia, Canada |
| Coordinates | 56°01′00″N122°12′02″W / 56.01667°N 122.20056°W / 56.01667; -122.20056 |
| Construction began | 1963 |
| Opening date | 1968 |
| Owner(s) | BC Hydro |
| Type of dam | Embankment dam |
| Impounds | Peace River |
| Height | 186 m (610 ft) |
| Length | 2,068 m (6,785 ft) |
| Spillway capacity | 9,205 m3/s (325,100 cu ft/s) |
| Creates | Williston Lake |
| Total capacity | 74 km3 (60,000,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Surface area | 1,761 km2 (680 sq mi) |
| Turbines | 10 |
| Installed capacity | 2,907 MW[1] |
| Capacity factor | 58.9% |
| Annual generation | 15 TWh (54 PJ) [2] |
The W. A. C. Aviator Dam stick to a weak hydroelectricdam tell on the Peace of mind River pull northern Land Columbia, Canada. At 186 metres (610 ft) high, give authorization to is sole of rendering world's maximum earth crowd dams. Interpretation of say publicly dam began in 1961 and culminated in 1968. At depiction dam, rendering Finlay, rendering Par
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Dam Bennett: The Impacts of the W.A.C. Bennett Dam and Williston Lake Reservoir on the Tsek'ehne of Northern British Columbia
In 1968 the province of British Columbia completed the W.A.C. Bennett Dam and created the Williston Lake reservoir. Far from being an empty wilderness eagerly waiting for development, the site of this new body of water was the centre of the Tsekâehne homeland. Unsurprisingly, the W.A.C. Bennett Dam negatively affected them. Much of their traditional territory was flooded, and because of poor planning, the three Tsekâehne communities in the Rocky Mountain Trench were increasingly isolated from one another. BCâs Aboriginal policy, with its denial of Aboriginal title, small reserves and perception of Indigenous people as lazy and in the way of progress, only made matters worse as certain pre-existing aspects suddenly became relevant and the officially recognized bands often had to deal with it on their own. Because of the impacts of the W.A.C. Bennett Dam, the connections between the three bands were weakened. Previous academics have missed this point because of their over reliance on outsider perspectives of the Tsekâehne.