Courtesy: Town of Peace River
Town staff recently got to tour the Site C dam south of Fort St. John in British Columbia, just before it started filling earlier this week.
Chief Administrative Officer Barb Miller, Director of Infrastructure and Development Pat Fisher, and Water/Wastewater Operations Manager Dana Langer checked out the site and were suitably wowed by the size of the structure and construction operation.
BC Hydro has begun filling the 83-kilometre reservoir, which is estimated to take until early December 2024.
What does that mean for us?In the short term, we’ll be monitoring our water levels closely as the dam fills, because flow rates in the river leaving B.C. will drop significantly. BC Hydro and Alberta Environment and Protected areas are directly communicating with our operations teams to forecast and telegraph any water level changes.
We aren’t currently experiencing impacts on our ability to make water for our residents. However, we are making preparations just in case so we can react quickly if need be.
Once the dam is filled and BC Hydro begins making power, water levels and flow rates in the Peace River should return to more normal expectations.
Congrats to BC Hydro and the BC Government for achieving this milestone with this mega project!
