The Nechako Reservoir , sometimes called the Ootsa Lake Reservoir , is a hydroelectric reservoir in British Columbia, Canada that was formed by the Kenney Dam making a diversion of the Nechako River through a 16-km intake tunnel in the Kitimat Ranges of the Coast Mountains to the 890 MW Kemano Generating Station at sea level at Kemano to service the then-new Alcan aluminum smelter at Kitimat . When it was constructed on the Nechako River in 1952, it resulted in the relocation of over 75 families. It was one of the biggest reservoirs built in Canada until the completion of the Columbia Treaty Dams and the W.A.C. Bennett Dam that created Lake Williston . The water level may swing 10 feet between 2790 and 2800 feet.
16-516: The damming "linked the rivers and lakes of Ootsa, Intata, Whitesail, Chelaslie, Tetachuck, Tahtsa and Natalkuz into the reservoir with a surface area of over 90,000 hectares." "The water of these lakes and rivers was diverted westward to the Pacific Ocean, instead of eastward to the Fraser River." The creation of the reservoir flooded the series of lakes which typified the upper Nechako basin and in
32-468: A 600 metre rail portage. Boats to about 7 metres in length can be portaged." Two other common access points are recommended, and maps are provided on the BC Parks web site: Little Andrews Bay Provincial Park and Wistaria Provincial Park. Burns Lake , B.C. is considered to be the northern gateway for fly-in tours for sightseeing, hunting and fishing; these are offered by local outfitters in the town. The park
48-498: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area is a provincial park in British Columbia , Canada , which along with Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park and Entiako Provincial Park were once part of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, then B. C.'s largest park, 9,810 square kilometres (3,790 sq mi) located in
64-582: Is a subrange of the Nechako Plateau in the Interior of British Columbia , Canada , located on the north end of Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area . It is almost completely an island after the creation of the Nechako Reservoir . Its two main summits are Michel Peak (2260m) and Tweedsmuir Peak (2194m). This article about a location in the Interior of British Columbia , Canada
80-447: Is considered to be an almost pristine mountain wilderness. There are many kinds of large mammals in the park including grizzly bears , black bears , wolves , mountain lions , wolverines , boreal woodland caribou , moose , mountain goats and hoary marmots . The Tweedsmuir-Entiako woodland caribou herd numbered about 500 caribou in 1993. Their range extends to throughout northern Tweedsmuir Park in alpine and forested habitat in
96-589: Is located on the south flank of the Nechako River watercourse. The northern portion of the park is a wilderness area. Access is possible via boat, using Ootsa and Whitesail Lakes. The Park is between Burns Lake and Houston. BC Parks provides this explanation: "To get from Chikamin Bay on Whitesail Lake to St. Thomas Bay on Eutsuk Lake in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, boaters are required to winch their boats over
112-522: Is the largest of the original lakes its name is sometimes used for the whole reservoir, though the official name remains Nechako Reservoir. Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area and Entiako Provincial Park both border the reservoir. For many generations, the shores of Ootsa Lake were home to the Cheslatta Carrier Nation . The flooding of Nechako Canyon destroyed their traditional hunting and fishing grounds and their homes. In
128-536: The 1970s, Alcan proposed expanding the generating capacity at their Kemano Powerhouse by diverting more water from the Nechako Reservoir. At that time, it was envisioned that no additional dams would be required, and there would be no additional flooding. However, the project faced challenges and was ultimately canceled by the Provincial Government in 1995 due to significant environmental concerns related to
144-511: The Coast Range. Tweedsmuir gained park status in 1938 as the earliest large park established under the BC Parks protected areas system. Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area was re-designated a park and protected area as the latter classification allows resource extraction and other economic activities not permitted in full park designations. Entiako Provincial Park and Protected Area
160-455: The Nechako River. Recent developments indicate that efforts were made to address the energy needs while considering environmental impacts. A second power tunnel between the reservoir and the powerhouse was planned for this purpose. It was intended to serve as a backup to the original tunnel, enhancing the sustainability of the project. In December 2017, there was a significant development when
176-596: The US-$ 473 million Kemano second tunnel project received the go-ahead, as reported by the Kitimat Northern Sentinel. This project likely aimed to improve the efficiency and reliability of power generation while mitigating environmental impacts, in line with contemporary environmental standards and regulations. However, the completion date for this project was scheduled for 2020, according to available information. The "out-of-date" template remains in place to indicate
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#1732855454878192-491: The flooding of the area. The damming triggered "devastating changes for First Nations communities whose traditional territories lay in their path, including the destruction of Aboriginal gravesites, territories, livelihoods, and archaeological sites." In 1957, Alcan opened the gate of the spillway to Skin's Lake desecrating Cheslatta graves, which came to public attention during the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples . In
208-590: The late 1940s, University of British Columbia professor Charles Edward Borden shifted his attention toward urgent salvage archaeology in the Nechako Canyon after learning that ALCAN planned on flooding the Nechako Canyon to supply power for their smelter in Kitimat (known as Kemano I Project). In 1951 Borden and his protégé, anthropology student, Wilson Duff located over 130 sites of importance to Cheslatta T'en history. They conducted more intensive investigations prior to
224-491: The need for further updates and verification of the project's status beyond May 2023. Tahtsa Lake is at the far western end of Nechako Reservoir and has a subarctic climate ( Köppen Dfc ), with high levels of precipitation and snowfall. Wistaria is on the northern shore of Nechako Reservoir, about 85km east of Tahtsa Lake. Wistaria also has a subarctic climate ( Köppen Dfc ), but it receives far less precipitation and snowfall. Quanchus Range The Quanchus Range
240-486: The process rendered the Quanchus Range , which lies between the north and south arms of the reservoir, a virtual island. The names of lakes amalgamated into the reservoir are perpetuated as names for the various stretches of water. The north arm includes Ootsa Lake , Whitesail Lake, and Whitesail Reach, the south arm Eutsuk Lake, Natalkuz Lake, Chedakuz Arm, Knewstubb Lake , Tetachuck Lake and others. Because Ootsa Lake
256-463: The summer and to the mouth of the Entiako River where the migrates in late winter. By the early 1990s the herd was already declining. Research was undertaken to manage the herd as logging activities were proposed in the area near their winter range. In southern and central B.C. most of the caribou herds "had significantly declined in numbers and in range." By 1985 Stevenson and Hatler had designated
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