Mica Dam
Encyclopedia
The Mica Dam is a hydroelectric
dam
spanning the Columbia River
135 kilometres north of Revelstoke, British Columbia
, Canada
. Completed in 1973 under the terms of the 1964 Columbia River Treaty
, the Mica powerhouse has a generating capacity of . The dam is operated by BC Hydro
. The Mica Dam, named after the nearby settlement (now drowned under the lake) of Mica Creek and its associated stream in turn named because of the abundance of mica
minerals in the area, is one of the largest earthfill dams in the world. The reservoir for the dam is Kinbasket Lake
, which was created when the dam was built. Water below the dam flows south directly into Revelstoke Lake
, the reservoir for the Revelstoke Dam
. The dam's underground powerhouse was the second largest in the world at the time of its construction, and was the first installation of sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) insulated switchgear
in North America
. It is also the dam farthest up the Columbia River
.
. At the time, the dam was one of three storage dams built by the provincial power company BC Hydro, within the description of the Columbia River Treaty. The dam operated with a 427 square kilometres (164.9 sq mi) reservoir containing 15 cubic kilometre of live storage in McNaughton Lake
.
The underground powerhouse
, begun in 1973 was built to be 54 metres (177.2 ft) high, 24 metres (78.7 ft) wide and 237 metres (777.6 ft) long. In 1976, the first two electrical generator
s were commissioned and in 1977 two more were completed bringing the total capacity of the powerhouse to 1740 MW. Another two generators are scheduled to be added and operational in 2014 and in 2015, for a total generating capacity of 2,805 MW.
The Mica powerhouse delivers its power to Nicola Substation
via a 500-kilovolt, 570 kilometres (354.2 mi) transmission line. A second power transmission line for hydroelectric power was built to the Meridian Substation near Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada. In 1980 McNaughton Lake was renamed to Kinbasket Lake. A number of small communities were inundated by the creation of Kinbasket Lake, and comprised a region known as the Big Bend Country
, a subregion of the Columbia Country
. Among these towns were Mica, Big Bend, and Downie.
Mica Dam was built to provide 7000000 acre.ft of water storage as outlined in the Columbia River Treaty, plus another 5000000 acre.ft, referred to as "non-Treaty storage". Since 1977 BC Hydro and the Bonneville Power Administration
(BPA) have made a series of long and short term agreements for using non-Treaty storage. Negotiations for a new long-term agreement began in 2011. If implemented, it would manage non-Treaty storage until 2024.
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...
spanning the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
135 kilometres north of Revelstoke, British Columbia
Revelstoke, British Columbia
Revelstoke is a city in southeastern British Columbia, Canada. It is located east of Vancouver, and west of Calgary, Alberta. The city is situated on the banks of the Columbia River just south of the Revelstoke Dam and near its confluence with the Illecillewaet River...
, 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...
. Completed in 1973 under the terms of the 1964 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...
, the Mica powerhouse has a generating capacity of . The dam is operated by 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...
. The Mica Dam, named after the nearby settlement (now drowned under the lake) of Mica Creek and its associated stream in turn named because of the abundance of mica
Mica
The mica group of sheet silicate minerals includes several closely related materials having highly perfect basal cleavage. All are monoclinic, with a tendency towards pseudohexagonal crystals, and are similar in chemical composition...
minerals in the area, is one of the largest earthfill dams in the world. The reservoir for the dam is Kinbasket Lake
Kinbasket Lake
Kinbasket Lake is a reservoir on the Columbia River in southeast British Columbia, north of the city of Revelstoke and the town of Golden. The reservoir was created by the construction of the Mica Dam. The lake includes two reaches, Columbia Reach and Canoe Reach , referring to the river valleys...
, which was created when the dam was built. Water below the dam flows south directly into Revelstoke Lake
Revelstoke Lake
Lake Revelstoke or Revelstoke Lake or Revelstoke Lake Reservoir is an artificial lake on the Columbia River, north of the town of Revelstoke, British Columbia and south of Mica Creek...
, the reservoir for the Revelstoke Dam
Revelstoke Dam
The 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 2480 MW. Four generating units were installed initially, with one...
. The dam's underground powerhouse was the second largest in the world at the time of its construction, and was the first installation of sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) insulated switchgear
Switchgear
The term switchgear, used in association with the electric power system, or grid, refers to the combination of electrical disconnects, fuses and/or circuit breakers used to isolate electrical equipment. Switchgear is used both to de-energize equipment to allow work to be done and to clear faults...
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. It is also the dam farthest up the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
.
History
Mica Dam was operational on March 29, 1973. The dam was built to a height of 244 metres (800.5 ft) above bedrock, near the first location of the village Mica CreekMica Creek, British Columbia
Mica Creek is a small village in British Columbia, Canada that was used as a base of operations for the construction of the Mica Dam hydroelectric project by BC Hydro in the 1960s and 1970s. It is located 148 km north of Revelstoke, British Columbia on Highway 23 and situated at the...
. At the time, the dam was one of three storage dams built by the provincial power company BC Hydro, within the description of the Columbia River Treaty. The dam operated with a 427 square kilometres (164.9 sq mi) reservoir containing 15 cubic kilometre of live storage in McNaughton Lake
Kinbasket Lake
Kinbasket Lake is a reservoir on the Columbia River in southeast British Columbia, north of the city of Revelstoke and the town of Golden. The reservoir was created by the construction of the Mica Dam. The lake includes two reaches, Columbia Reach and Canoe Reach , referring to the river valleys...
.
The underground powerhouse
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
, begun in 1973 was built to be 54 metres (177.2 ft) high, 24 metres (78.7 ft) wide and 237 metres (777.6 ft) long. In 1976, the first two electrical generator
Electrical generator
In electricity generation, an electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy. A generator forces electric charge to flow through an external electrical circuit. It is analogous to a water pump, which causes water to flow...
s were commissioned and in 1977 two more were completed bringing the total capacity of the powerhouse to 1740 MW. Another two generators are scheduled to be added and operational in 2014 and in 2015, for a total generating capacity of 2,805 MW.
The Mica powerhouse delivers its power to Nicola Substation
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
via a 500-kilovolt, 570 kilometres (354.2 mi) transmission line. A second power transmission line for hydroelectric power was built to the Meridian Substation near Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada. In 1980 McNaughton Lake was renamed to Kinbasket Lake. A number of small communities were inundated by the creation of Kinbasket Lake, and comprised a region known as the Big Bend Country
Big Bend Country
Big Bend Country is a term used in the Canadian province of British Columbia to refer to the region around the northernmost bend of the Columbia River, where the river leaves its initial northwestward course along the Rocky Mountain Trench to curve around the northern end of the Selkirk Mountains...
, a subregion of the Columbia Country
Columbia Country
The Columbia Country is a term used in the Canadian province of British Columbia to refer to the upper basin of the Columbia River in that province. It includes a smaller region known as the Columbia Valley, near the river's headwaters at Columbia Lake in the Rocky Mountain Trench, and the Big...
. Among these towns were Mica, Big Bend, and Downie.
Mica Dam was built to provide 7000000 acre.ft of water storage as outlined in the Columbia River Treaty, plus another 5000000 acre.ft, referred to as "non-Treaty storage". Since 1977 BC Hydro and the Bonneville Power Administration
Bonneville Power Administration
The Bonneville Power Administration is an American federal agency based in the Pacific Northwest. BPA was created by an act of Congress in 1937 to market electric power from the Bonneville Dam located on the Columbia River and to construct facilities necessary to transmit that power...
(BPA) have made a series of long and short term agreements for using non-Treaty storage. Negotiations for a new long-term agreement began in 2011. If implemented, it would manage non-Treaty storage until 2024.
See also
- Revelstoke DamRevelstoke DamThe 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 2480 MW. Four generating units were installed initially, with one...
- Keenleyside DamKeenleyside DamHugh Keenleyside Dam is a hydroelectric dam spanning the Columbia River, 12 km upstream of the city of Castlegar, British Columbia, Canada....
- Hydroelectric dams on the Columbia RiverHydroelectric dams on the Columbia RiverHydroelectric dams on the Columbia River and its tributaries in North America.- Mainstem Columbia dams :-Snake River:-Pend Oreille-Clark Fork–Flathead:-Kootenai River:-See also:...