The Aberfeldie hydro-power station is now complete
The upgraded run-of-river hydro-power project is now in full operation. —Photo by Joni Krats
Great changes were made by BC Hydro to the Aberfeldie facility, which is located on the Bull River, 35 kilometres east of Cranbrook. As part of BC Hydro’s Resource Smart program, the company invested $95 million to redevelop the Aberfeldie power station as well as make upgrades to the water intake, penstock, surge tank and access road. When built in 1922, the Aberfeldie power station harnessed the power of 20 per cent of the Bull River’s flow. It now utilizes 80 per cent. This increase, combined with the completely new power station and other upgrades, has resulted in a fivefold increase of available power. In tangible terms, the Aberfeldie now produces enough electricity to power 10,500 homes per year. Once construction was complete, BC Hydro states that the redevelopment project produced net environmental benefits. The original facility had an above-ground penstock, which is a large water containment pipe that runs from the water intake at the dam to the power generation station over a kilometre downstream of the dam. This large wooden pipeline prevented the free movement of animals to and from the river on one side. The penstock was originally built of wood, which some may remember leaked—and provided for very dramatic ice photos in the winter. The new penstock is buried and is constructed of a multi-walled plastic that is incredibly durable. Throughout construction, BC Hydro employed Interior Reforestation to manage the re-vegetation of the disturbed land. In order to prevent the complete loss of water flow between the dam and the power station, BC Hydro has committed to ensuring a minimum flow is available all year. In the event of one or more of the powerhouse units stopping, the new power station will pass up 50 per cent of the water flow in order to minimize fluctuations of water levels downstream. Since harnessing 80 per cent of the water flow drastically decreased the water in the Bull River between the dam and the power station, BC Hydro compensated for the potential fish habitat loss by contracting Nupku Resource Management of the Ktunaxa Nation to construct a 3,200-square-metre additional side channel downstream of the project. The function of this side channel is to create additional habitat for young fish and also habitat for fish food sources. The project was completed on time and on budget and the official ribbon cutting took place on June 12. The Aberfeldie Dam and Generating Station is now in full operation.
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