Ruskin Dam
Encyclopedia
Ruskin Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Stave River
in Ruskin, British Columbia
, Canada. The dam was completed in 1930 for the primary purpose of hydroelectric power generation. The dam creates Hayward Lake
, which supplies water to a 105 MW power station.
was completed and in 1928, the Alouette Dam was finished. Construction on the Ruskin Dam, about 5.6 km (3 mi) downstream of Stave Falls began in 1929 by British Columbia Electric Railway
who had previously bought Western Canada Power in 1921. In November 1930, the dam was inaugurated and local businessmen and politicians celebrated by dining in its powerhouse. Only two generators were operational at first and the third was added in 1950. The first superintendent of the Stave Falls Dam is the namesake for Hayward Lake. In 1961, the provincial government took over BC Electric Company, the dam became the property of Crown corporation BC Hydro.
800 million upgrade. The project includes replacing the generators, reinforcing the right bank of the dam, upgrading the intake and penstock
s, replacing the spillway
piers and gates and relocating the switchyard. The upgrades are aimed at bringing the dam and its facilities up to safety standards, improving their seismic performance and increasing their efficiency and life.
, MacGyver
, Smallville
, Dark Angel
and the movie The Invisible
. In Smallville episodes "Prototype", "Phantom" and "Bizarro", it is referred to as "Reeves Dam".
and the reservoir extends 5.6 km (3 mi). The dam's spillway
is an ogee-type and consists of seven radial gates. It has a 4430 m3/s maximum discharge capacity. The dam's power station is just downstream and on the river's eastern bank. It contains three 35 MW Francis turbine
-generators and water is fed to each by a single penstock
. Access to the power station is afforded by a truss bridge
from the west side of the river.
Stave River
The Stave River is a tributary of the Fraser, joining it at the boundary between the municipalities of Maple Ridge and Mission, about 35 km east of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, in the Central Fraser Valley region....
in Ruskin, British Columbia
Ruskin, British Columbia
Ruskin is a rural and industrial area about 40 kilometres east of Vancouver, British Columbia straddling the border between the suburban municipalities of Maple Ridge and Mission, on the west bank of the lower Stave River.-History:...
, Canada. The dam was completed in 1930 for the primary purpose of hydroelectric power generation. The dam creates Hayward Lake
Hayward Lake
Hayward Lake is a lake and reservoir on the Stave River in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Located in the District of Mission about 60 km east of Vancouver, Hayward Lake is formed by Ruskin Dam, which lies about 3 km upstream from the Stave River's confluence with the...
, which supplies water to a 105 MW power station.
Background
The Ruskin Dam was constructed along with the Western Canada Power Company's hydroelectric development of the Stave Valley. In 1912, the Stave Falls DamStave Falls Dam
Stave Falls Dam is a dual-dam power complex on the Stave River in Stave Falls, British Columbia, Canada . The dam was completed in 1912 for the primary purpose of hydroelectric power production. To increase the capacity of Stave Lake, the dam was raised in 1925 and the Blind Slough Dam constructed...
was completed and in 1928, the Alouette Dam was finished. Construction on the Ruskin Dam, about 5.6 km (3 mi) downstream of Stave Falls began in 1929 by British Columbia Electric Railway
British Columbia Electric Railway
The British Columbia Electric Railway was a historic Canadian railway which operated in southwestern British Columbia.Originally the parent company, and later a division, of BC Electric, the BCER operated public transportation in southwestern British Columbia from its establishment in the...
who had previously bought Western Canada Power in 1921. In November 1930, the dam was inaugurated and local businessmen and politicians celebrated by dining in its powerhouse. Only two generators were operational at first and the third was added in 1950. The first superintendent of the Stave Falls Dam is the namesake for Hayward Lake. In 1961, the provincial government took over BC Electric Company, the dam became the property of Crown corporation BC Hydro.
Future upgrades
Beginning in 2012 and continuing until 2018, the dam and its facilities are expected to undergo an C$Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
800 million upgrade. The project includes replacing the generators, reinforcing the right bank of the dam, upgrading the intake and penstock
Penstock
A penstock is a sluice or gate or intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydraulic turbines and sewerage systems. It is a term that has been inherited from the technology of wooden watermills....
s, replacing the spillway
Spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
piers and gates and relocating the switchyard. The upgrades are aimed at bringing the dam and its facilities up to safety standards, improving their seismic performance and increasing their efficiency and life.
Filming location
The dam has been a filming location for the tv series The X-FilesThe X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
, MacGyver
MacGyver
MacGyver is an American action-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff. Henry Winkler and John Rich were the executive producers. The show ran for seven seasons on ABC in the United States and various other networks abroad from 1985 to 1992. The series was filmed in Los Angeles...
, Smallville
Smallville
Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
, Dark Angel
Dark Angel (TV series)
Dark Angel is an American biopunk/cyberpunk science fiction television series created by James Cameron and Charles H. Eglee. The show premiered in the United States on the Fox network on October 3, 2000, and was canceled after two seasons...
and the movie The Invisible
The Invisible (film)
The Invisible is a 2007 American supernatural thriller teen film starring Justin Chatwin, Margarita Levieva, Chris Marquette, Marcia Gay Harden, and Callum Keith Rennie...
. In Smallville episodes "Prototype", "Phantom" and "Bizarro", it is referred to as "Reeves Dam".
Design
The Ruskin Dam is a 59.4 m (195 ft) tall and 110 m (361 ft) long concrete gravity type. The dam creates a reservoir (Hayward Lake) with a 42000000 cubic metre capacity and 3 km² (741 acre) surface area. The dam sits at the head of a 953 km² (368 sq mi) catchment areaDrainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
and the reservoir extends 5.6 km (3 mi). The dam's spillway
Spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
is an ogee-type and consists of seven radial gates. It has a 4430 m3/s maximum discharge capacity. The dam's power station is just downstream and on the river's eastern bank. It contains three 35 MW Francis turbine
Francis turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts....
-generators and water is fed to each by a single penstock
Penstock
A penstock is a sluice or gate or intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydraulic turbines and sewerage systems. It is a term that has been inherited from the technology of wooden watermills....
. Access to the power station is afforded by a truss bridge
Truss bridge
A truss bridge is a bridge composed of connected elements which may be stressed from tension, compression, or sometimes both in response to dynamic loads. Truss bridges are one of the oldest types of modern bridges...
from the west side of the river.