Stave Falls Dam
Encyclopedia
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 in an adjacent valley to the north. In 2000, the dam's power station was replaced after a four year upgrade. The power station was once British Columbia's largest hydroelectric power source and is a National Historic Site of Canada.
bought Western Canada Power and continued to develop the power power plant. A fifth generator was installed after it was realized that additional water from a dam raise and a reservoir created by the Alouette Dam could increase power production. The Stave Falls Dam was raised in 1925 and the fifth generator was operational on 19 September 1925. In 1926, the Blind Slough Dam was completed to supplement the reservoir's new size and serve as a spillway
. In 1928, the Alouette Dam was complete.
Beginning in 1995, the original power station underwent decommissioning and was replaced with a new power station containing two Kaplan turbine
s. The project included the construction of a new power plant intake, power house, tailrace channel and penstock
s. It was completed in January 2000 and increased the installed capacity of the power plant from 52.5 MW to 90 MW. The old power station currently serves as a tourist attraction.
s and 4 sluice gates. It has a maximum discharge of 3500 m3/s.
The dam's current power station contains two 45 MW Kaplan turbine
s and generators for an installed capacity of 90 MW. Unit one receives water from a 183 m (600 ft) long tunnel while that of Unit two is 202 m (663 ft) long. The old decommissioned power station at the base of the Stave Falls Dam contains five horizontal double-Francis turbine
-generators. Included are three exciters, two of which were once driven by smaller Francis turbines. Generators 1 through 4 used two exciters while generator 5 used its own. The penstock
s for generators 1 through 4 had a 4.2 m (14 ft) diameter and were 45 m (148 ft) in length.
and is used by the Ruskin Dam
5.6 km (3 mi) downstream at 49°11′45"N 122°24′27"W for power generation.
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 Stave Falls, British Columbia
Stave Falls, British Columbia
Stave Falls is a rural community located in northwestern Mission, British Columbia, Canada.-External links:****...
, 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...
. The dam was completed in 1912 for the primary purpose of hydroelectric power production. To increase the capacity of Stave Lake
Stave Lake
Stave Lake is a hydroelectric reservoir in the Stave River system, located on the northern edge of the District of Mission, about 65 km east of Vancouver, British Columbia. The main arm of the lake is just over 20 km long, and there is a southwest arm ending at Stave Falls Dam about...
, the dam was raised in 1925 and the Blind Slough Dam constructed in an adjacent valley to the north. In 2000, the dam's power station was replaced after a four year upgrade. The power station was once British Columbia's largest hydroelectric power source and is a National Historic Site of Canada.
Background
The Stave Falls Dam was first visualized in the 1890s as hydroelectric development was becoming widespread. Exploiting the 24 m (79 ft) drop of the Stave Falls could produce hydroelectricity which could be sold to various customers. In 1895, Stave Lake Electric and Power Co. Ltd was given permission to study the falls for electricity production. In 1909, the Western Canada Power Company bought Stave Lake Electric and Power and began construction on the dam. The first generator went online in December 1911 and the second in January 1912. Generators three and fourth went online in 1916 and 1922, respectively. In 1921, British Columbia Electric RailwayBritish 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...
bought Western Canada Power and continued to develop the power power plant. A fifth generator was installed after it was realized that additional water from a dam raise and a reservoir created by the Alouette Dam could increase power production. The Stave Falls Dam was raised in 1925 and the fifth generator was operational on 19 September 1925. In 1926, the Blind Slough Dam was completed to supplement the reservoir's new size and serve as a 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...
. In 1928, the Alouette Dam was complete.
Beginning in 1995, the original power station underwent decommissioning and was replaced with a new power station containing two Kaplan turbine
Kaplan turbine
The Kaplan turbine is a propeller-type water turbine which has adjustable blades. It was developed in 1913 by the Austrian professor Viktor Kaplan, who combined automatically adjusted propeller blades with automatically adjusted wicket gates to achieve efficiency over a wide range of flow and...
s. The project included the construction of a new power plant intake, power house, tailrace channel 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. It was completed in January 2000 and increased the installed capacity of the power plant from 52.5 MW to 90 MW. The old power station currently serves as a tourist attraction.
Design
The Stave Falls Dam is a 122 m (400 ft) long concrete-gravity and rock-fill dam with a crest width of 5 m (16 ft). The Blind Slough Dam, 400 m (1,312 ft) to the north, is a 190 m (623 ft) long concrete-gravity dam with an 8.5 m (28 ft) wide crest. The Blind Slough Dam serves as a spillway which consists of 10 tainter gateTainter gate
The Tainter gate is a type of radial arm floodgate used in dams and canal locks to control water flow. It is named for Wisconsin structural engineer Jeremiah Burnham Tainter....
s and 4 sluice gates. It has a maximum discharge of 3500 m3/s.
The dam's current power station contains two 45 MW Kaplan turbine
Kaplan turbine
The Kaplan turbine is a propeller-type water turbine which has adjustable blades. It was developed in 1913 by the Austrian professor Viktor Kaplan, who combined automatically adjusted propeller blades with automatically adjusted wicket gates to achieve efficiency over a wide range of flow and...
s and generators for an installed capacity of 90 MW. Unit one receives water from a 183 m (600 ft) long tunnel while that of Unit two is 202 m (663 ft) long. The old decommissioned power station at the base of the Stave Falls Dam contains five horizontal double-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. Included are three exciters, two of which were once driven by smaller Francis turbines. Generators 1 through 4 used two exciters while generator 5 used its own. The 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 for generators 1 through 4 had a 4.2 m (14 ft) diameter and were 45 m (148 ft) in length.
Operation
The Stave Falls Dam is part of the Alouette-Stave Falls-Ruskin Hydroelectric Complex. Supplementing Stave Lake is water from Alouette Lake which is created by the Alouette Dam at 49°17′10"N 122°29′12"W, 11.5 km (7 mi) northwest of Stave Falls Dam. A 1067 m (3,501 ft) long tunnel connects Alouette Lake and Stave Lake. At the end of the tunnel is a penstock which feeds an 8 MW power station on the edge of Stave Lake at 49°22′16"N 122°18′47"W. Water released from the lake flows into Hayward LakeHayward 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...
and is used by the Ruskin Dam
Ruskin Dam
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...
5.6 km (3 mi) downstream at 49°11′45"N 122°24′27"W for power generation.