Seton dam and diversion canal

Canada / British Columbia / Lillooet /
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The Bridge River hydroelectric complex consists of three dams and stores water for four generating stations. The system uses Bridge River water three times in succession to generate 492 megawatts, or 6 to 8 per cent of British Columbia's electrical supply. Hydroelectric development of the system began in 1927 and was completed in 1960. Its waters (Downton Reservoir) initially pass through the Lajoie Dam and powerhouse and are then diverted through tunnels and penstocks from Carpenter Reservoir to the two powerhouses on Seton Lake Reservoir. Finally, the water flows from Seton Lake Reservoir, through the Seton Powerhouse and into the Fraser River.

BC Hydro's Seton Dam, the final dam of the Bridge River Hydroelectric development, and the Seton Canal, which delivers water to the Seton Powerhouse and the Fraser River, are located immediately north of the campground and were built between 1927 and 1960. The Seton Powerhouse has a maximum generating capacity of 42 MW and an average capacity of 330 GWh per year - roughly equal to four times the amount of electricity used by all the homes and businesses in Lillooet and Lytton, or enough to meet the energy needs of more than 300,000 homes.

The dam incorporates a fish ladder and a diversion canal, which directs water from the Seton River to the Seton Powerhouse on the Fraser River. Pink, chinook, coho and steelhead salmon are all found in the Seton River. Two Department of Fisheries and Oceans spawning channels are located near the south side of Seton River for pink salmon. Two siphons from the concrete diversion canal provide water to these channels. During the summer and fall months, the diversion of Cayoosh Creek water into Seton Lake Reservoir helps migrating salmon find their way back upstream to spawning grounds.
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Coordinates:   50°40'12"N   121°57'7"W

Comments

  • The selected area does not include the generating station proper which is on the Fraser River just south of the outlet of Seton Creek/Cayoosh Creek (the official name is Seton Creek not Seton River and locals refer to it as Cayoosh Creek anyway). The selected area includes the Seton Dam and the upper end of the Seton Diversion Canal.
  • Yeah, well I just copied it directly off BC Hydro's website. It was them that called it Seton River!
  • Apparently the name has been officially changed, as per BC Geographic Names Information System database; Seton River is the official name, even though, once again, locals refer to the watercourse all the way to the Fraser as Cayoosh Creek. Seton River has also been given as the name to the former Seton Portage River or Portage Creek, which connects Anderson and Seton Lakes.
  • Is it true that the soi anchors are close to failure at jackass canyon ? Would a failure at the damn risk flooding ifurther down the fraser ?
This article was last modified 16 years ago