W. A. C. Bennett Dam facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids W. A. C. Bennett Dam
The W. A. C. Bennett Dam, taken from the viewpoint
Location within British Columbia
Location	Hudson's Hope, British Columbia, Canada
Coordinates	56°01′00″N 122°12′02″W / 56.01667°N 122.20056°W / 56.01667; -122.20056
Construction began	1963
Opening date	1968
Owner(s)	BC Hydro
Dam and spillways
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)
Reservoir
Creates	Williston Lake
Total capacity	74 km³ (60,000,000 acre⋅ft)
Surface area	1,761 km² (680 sq mi)
Power station
Turbines	10
Installed capacity	2,907 MW
Capacity factor	58.9%
Annual generation	15 TWh (54 PJ)

The W. A. C. Bennett Dam is a huge hydroelectric dam located on the Peace River in northern British Columbia, Canada. It stands 186 metres (610 ft) tall, making it one of the world's highest earth-fill dams. Building the dam started in 1961 and finished in 1968.

At the dam, the Finlay, Parsnip, and Peace rivers flow into Williston Lake. This lake is also called Williston Reservoir. It is the third largest artificial lake in North America and the biggest body of fresh water in British Columbia. Williston Lake stretches 250 kilometres from north to south and 150 kilometres from east to west.

The dam was named after Premier W. A. C. Bennett. His ideas were very important in starting and completing the project. The reservoir was named after his trusted colleague, Ray Williston. The Gordon M. Shrum Generating Station at the dam can produce over 13,000 GWh of electricity each year. Sometimes, it provides more than a third of British Columbia's power.

Building the dam and the lake brought many jobs and helped the economy of British Columbia. However, it also caused some challenges. For example, a large area of forest was flooded, which affected plants and wildlife. Also, some people, including members of the Tsay Keh Dene First Nation, had to move from their homes.

History of the Dam
Economic Benefits
Social Impacts
- First Nations Communities
- Local Residents
Environmental Impacts
- Downstream Effects
- Upstream and Williston Lake Effects
Visitor Centre
See also

History of the Dam

Premier Bennett's Vision

W. A. C. Bennett was the leader of British Columbia from 1952 to 1972. He believed in big projects to develop the province. He wanted to use British Columbia's natural resources, like rivers, to make the province wealthy. Large hydroelectric projects, such as the W. A. C. Bennett Dam, were part of his plan. He thought that controlling nature would help British Columbia grow and create more jobs.

Bennett's ideas about hydroelectric power were part of a belief called "high modernism." This idea suggests that large-scale projects can greatly improve society. While these projects brought benefits like cheaper energy, they also had consequences. For example, some people ended up living in isolation because of the changes to the land.

The Two Rivers Plan

Premier Bennett had a plan called the "Two Rivers policy." He wanted to develop the power from both the Peace and Columbia Rivers at the same time. His goal was to give British Columbia more control over its own resources, rather than the federal government.

Bennett first tried to make a deal with an American company to build a dam on the Columbia River. But the Canadian government stepped in, saying it controlled international waterways. So, Bennett focused on the Peace River instead. He hoped that building the W. A. C. Bennett Dam would give British Columbia enough power to convince the federal government to let them sell electricity from the Columbia River to the United States.

This "Two Rivers" plan led to the building of the W. A. C. Bennett Dam on the Peace River. It also led to the Keenleyside Dam, Mica Dam, and Duncan Dam on the Columbia River. In 1964, the Columbia River Treaty was signed, allowing British Columbia to sell electricity to the Americans for 30 years.

Choosing the Dam Site

Ray Williston, a government minister, suggested turning parts of the Peace and Columbia River areas into power sources. This "Power Trench" would provide electricity and help control water flow for flood prevention.

In 1957, twelve possible dam locations were found along the Peace River. One spot, 22 kilometres from Hudson's Hope, was chosen as the best because of its natural geography. Gordon Shrum, a professor, studied the costs of building dams on both rivers. He found it would be cheaper to build on the Peace River, especially if a public company like BC Hydro was involved.

Building the Dam

When construction began on the W. A. C. Bennett Dam (then called Portage Mountain Dam), the first step was to clear the area that would become the reservoir. This was a huge job, costing five million dollars. When the water rose, many cut trees floated on the lake's surface.

The first steps of building included creating a temporary dam, preparing the ground, and making sure it was watertight. Workers used a conveyor belt to move huge amounts of rock and dirt from a nearby area. This material was used to build the dam, which relies on its massive weight to hold back the water.

The W. A. C. Bennett Dam became one of the largest earth-filled dams in the world. It is 183 metres tall, 800 metres wide, and two kilometres long. The dam also has one of the biggest hydroelectric power stations. Its 10 generating units are located deep underground in the G.M. Shrum generating station.

The project was a big success, even though it was in a remote area. Gordon Shrum managed the construction. He helped make sure the project was finished on time in 1967, with the first generators starting in 1968. The last generator was installed in 1980.

Many workers from around the world helped build the dam. They lived in temporary camps near the site. Working inside the dam was often difficult, with fumes and occasional cave-ins. Sadly, 16 men lost their lives during the construction. A special lookout was built early on so tourists could watch the dam being built.

Upgrades to the Dam

From 2009 to 2012, some of the dam's units (6 to 8) were updated. This increased the power plant's capacity by 90 megawatts. Unit 7 was back in service on November 29, 2012.

Units 1 to 5 have also been fully updated and improved. These upgrades make the first units more reliable and increase their power output by as much as 17%.

Economic Benefits

For British Columbia

In the 1950s, British Columbia's economy relied heavily on natural resources like timber and minerals. This meant the economy could change a lot depending on world demand. However, British Columbia was still a popular place to live, with high incomes.

Premier W. A. C. Bennett believed that unused natural resources were wasted. He pushed to develop the huge hydroelectric power of the Peace River. Today, the W. A. C. Bennett and Peace Canyon facilities produce about 35% of British Columbia's total electricity.

For BC Hydro

In March 1962, Premier Bennett introduced a plan to develop the Peace and Columbia Rivers. The company BC Electric did not want to buy power from the Peace River project because cheaper power was available elsewhere. So, Bennett merged BC Electric with another company to create a new company called BC Hydro.

BC Hydro became responsible for building the dam, the power station, and all the related structures. This allowed the province to control its own energy resources.

For Local Communities and Workers

Building the dam and creating Williston Lake brought many jobs. People found work with BC Hydro or other companies involved in the project. These workers included local First Nations people, other residents, and immigrants.

One company, the Forest Service Branch, was paid $5 million to clear the land for Williston Lake. At its busiest, the project employed 3,500 workers. Many moved to the area, settling in towns like Hudson's Hope. The population of Hudson's Hope grew from 800 to over 5,000 in 1968. About 2,000 workers also lived in a camp near the dam.

Social Impacts

First Nations Communities

For some people, especially Aboriginal communities, the changes caused by the dam had big impacts. Their land became unlivable, and they lost traditional hunting and fishing grounds. The British Columbia government offered a settlement, buying land and rights for $1.7 million. About one-third of the 150 individuals and families affected were members of the Tsay Keh Dene First Nation.

Many fish species, as well as mountain caribou and muskrats, became harder to find. These changes affected the First Nations' way of life and led to a greater need for government help. Between 1965 and 1970, government assistance to Aboriginal groups near the dam increased by 300 percent. The difficult effects of the dam are described in detail by Daniel Sims, a Tsay Keh Dene First Nation member.

In October 2008, the Kwadacha First Nation, another Aboriginal group, reached a settlement with the British Columbia government and BC Hydro. They received $15 million and annual payments for damages caused by the dam and Williston Lake. The effects on the Tsay Keh Dene First Nation were shown in the 2021 documentary film The Scattering of Man (DƏNE YI’INJETL).

Local Residents

The damming of the Peace River also brought social changes to other nearby communities. While it created jobs and opportunities for new workers, it had negative effects for some residents who lived there before. Some residents were asked to leave their homes for small payments. For example, one farmer with a thousand acres was offered only twenty-eight thousand dollars for his property.

However, for other local residents, the dam project created many new job opportunities. For instance, the "instant town" of Mackenzie grew, where thousands found work with BC Forest Products. This company processed timber from the land cleared for the dam.

Environmental Impacts

Downstream Effects

While the W. A. C. Bennett Dam brought economic benefits, it also changed the environment. Since it was built, the water levels of the Peace River downstream have changed less dramatically. This has affected the plants and animals in the area. The dam has also been blamed for changes in the landscapes of Athabasca Lake and the Peace River, known as the Athabasca Delta. This area lost a lot of water.

The flood plains of the Peace-Athabasca Delta started drying up because the regular floods stopped. This reduced the amount of water in the delta, affecting its landscape and aquatic life. After Williston Lake was created in 1971, water coverage in the delta dropped by 38 percent. Twenty years later, wetlands had decreased by 47 percent. Lower water levels also led to more toxins and sediments building up, making the water quality worse. Fish were also affected, as fewer channels were available for them to reach spawning and nursery areas.

The Peace Canyon Dam was built directly downstream of the W. A. C. Bennett Dam. It uses water from the W. A. C. Bennett Dam to produce hydroelectricity a second time. Today, it is a popular place for camping. The Site C dam was proposed as another dam downstream from the Peace Canyon Dam.

Upstream and Williston Lake Effects

The area upstream of the dam also changed a lot when the land was flooded to create Williston Lake. A huge area of forest was covered by water, affecting wildlife and changing the landscape. The lake is 250 kilometres long from north to south and 150 kilometres wide from east to west.

The standing water in the lake led to cooler temperatures and more fog. This affected farmers nearby. The creation of the reservoir also impacted aquatic life. Rivers and lakes support different species. Some fish thrived in the new lake, but others, like mountain whitefish, rainbow trout, and Arctic grayling, declined.

While there are now more fish in the basin than before, some have high levels of mercury. This mercury is released into the lake from decaying plants and trees. Tiny organisms eat it, and it moves up the food chain. In 2000, British Columbia warned people about high mercury levels in bull trout and dolly varden from the lake.

The reservoir also cut off a migration route for caribou. This, along with other developments, severely affected the southern mountain caribou populations. By 2013, one herd was gone, and by 2016, five out of six other herds were at risk. In the Klinse-Za herd, only 16 animals remained by 2014.

Visitor Centre

The W. A. C. Bennett Dam Visitor Centre is located near the dam. It offers views of Williston Lake Reservoir. The centre has exhibits about the dam, how hydroelectricity works, and the area's natural and cultural history.