Ruskin Dam and Powerhouse
| Ruskin Dam | |
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Powerhouse with dam to the left in background
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_location_map.svg)
 Location of the dam in British Columbia, Canada
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| Country | Canada |
| Location | Ruskin, British Columbia |
| Coordinates | 49°11′45″N 122°24′27″W / 49.19583°N 122.40750°WCoordinates: 49°11′45″N 122°24′27″W / 49.19583°N 122.40750°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1929 |
| Opening date | 1930 |
| Owner(s) | BC Hydro |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Stave River |
| Height | 59.4 m (195 ft) |
| Length | 110 m (361 ft) |
| Elevation at crest | 45.7 m (150 ft) |
| Spillway type | Gated ogee crest |
| Spillway capacity | 4,430 m3/s (156,444 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Hayward Lake |
| Total capacity | 42,000,000 m3 (34,050 acre·ft) |
| Catchment area | 953 km2 (368 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 3 km2 (741 acres) |
| Maximum length | 5.6 km (3 mi) |
| Normal elevation | 41.1 m (135 ft) |
| Power Station | |
| Operator(s) | BC Hydro |
| Turbines | 3 x 35 MW Francis-type |
| Installed capacity | 105 MW |
| Annual generation | 374 GWh |
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. The dam created Hayward Lake, which supplies water to a 105 MW powerhouse and flooded the Stave's former lower canyon, which ended in a small waterfall approximately where the dam is today.
Ruskin Dam was constructed along with the Western Canada Power Company's hydroelectric development of the Stave Valley. Stave Falls Dam was completed in 1912 and Alouette Dam, the third dam in the system, in 1928. Construction on Ruskin Dam, about 5.6 km (3 mi) downstream of Stave Falls began in 1929 by the British Columbia Electric Railway who had previously bought Western Canada Power in 1921. In November 1930, the dam was inaugurated and local businessmen and politicians celebrated by dining in its powerhouse. Only two generators were operational at first and the third was added in 1950. The first superintendent of Stave Falls Dam was the namesake for Hayward Lake. In 1961, when the provincial government took over the BC Electric Company, the dam became the property of BC Hydro, a Crown corporation.
Beginning in 2012 and continuing until 2018, the dam and its facilities are expected to undergo an C$800 million upgrade. The project includes replacing the generators, reinforcing the right bank of the dam, upgrading the intake and , replacing the spillway piers and gates and relocating the switchyard. The upgrades are aimed at bringing the dam and its facilities up to safety standards, improving their seismic performance and increasing their efficiency and life. Three new 38MW turbine-generators provide a slight capacity increase to 114MW.
The dam has been a filming location for the TV series The X-Files, MacGyver, Smallville, Dark Angel and the movie The Invisible. In Smallville episodes "Prototype", "Phantom" and "Bizarro", it is referred to as "Reeves Dam".
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