HISTORY

Construction of the Revelstoke Dam began in 1978. This dam and generating station take advantage of the water regulation provided by the upstream Mica Dam. It is a concrete gravity dam with an earthfill dam to the west of the powerhouse. There are four generating units and capacity for two additional units.

Construction of the Revelstoke Dam was not without controversy. This was a reflection of the increased awareness of environmental concerns in the 1970s and 80s. BC Hydro commissioned many environmental reports and produced a promotional video to ease public concerns about environmental impacts.

Prior to the completion of the dam, Highway 23 was rerouted to avoid the new water levels along the 128 kilometre (80 mile) reservoir that would extend north to the Mica Dam. As well as construction, logging of the new reservoir was also a major undertaking, as all available merchantable timber was removed.