Ruskin Dam & Powerhouse Upgrade

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Hayward Street over Ruskin Dam is closed through November, 2007 to allow the first in a series of Ruskin Dam and Powerhouse upgrade projects.

The first step in the Ruskin Dam seismic upgrade and powerhouse improvement project is under way.

Hayward Street at Ruskin Dam was closed late July through the fall of 2007 to allow BC Hydro to embark on the first of various upgrades, which could continue for six years. When construction is complete, the dam will be expected to withstand a magnitude 7.5 earthquake within 10 km, or roughly an earthquake that has a likelihood of one chance in 10,000 in any year. Upgrades to the powerhouse will ensure it can be operated in a safer, environmentally responsible and more reliable manner in the future.

Road closed, trails open

The road closure is seven days a week, 24 hours per day, and applies to all traffic, including pedestrians. The popular parks and trails above and below the Mission-area dam remain open, but the road closure will alter access to the Hayward Lake Reservoir trails in particular.

Hikers accustomed to parking a vehicle above or below the dam and embarking on a Hayward Lake Reservoir loop hike—via the Railway and Reservoir trails—will not have that option during the Hayward Street closure.

Hikers can still access the trail by parking below the dam (Ruskin recreation site), just above the dam on the west side (Railway Trail parking lot) or at the upper end of the lake at the Hayward Lake Reservoir recreation area or the Reservoir Trail parking lot. Instead of a loop, hikers other than those with access to two vehicles—parked on either side of Ruskin Dam—are now limited to an out-and-back hike.

Why the dam needs a seismic upgrade

Constructed in 1930, the 105-megawatt Ruskin Generating Station is part of the Alouette-Stave-Ruskin hydroelectric system. When the dam was built, it met the safety requirements of the day.

Since that time, international design standards for dams and our understanding of how dams perform during earthquakes have improved. The dam will be upgraded to these new standards.

If a major earthquake happened near Ruskin Dam before the upgrade is completed, people directly downstream in and along the river channel below the dam could face rapidly rising water. Signs have been posted at access points below the dam to ensure that anyone entering the river channel—particularly popular among salmon anglers—is aware of this risk.

The first step in that upgrade has begun: a Ruskin Dam crest block anchoring project that will involve the anchoring of the top of the concrete dam using steel rods. As with all construction plans related to the project, an environmental management plan is in place.

Further work at the dam and powerhouse

BC Hydro continues its investigation into optimal upgrade solutions for the dam's piers, gates and its right abutment (the west slopes below Wilson Street). Work is also under way to determine the nature of powerhouse upgrades.

Signage on roads, trails and recreation areas will help inform the public of any access restrictions. Project details have been made available through newsletters, advertisements and information sessions. For further information, call the project information line at 1 800 663 1377 or email Charlotte Bemister.

For more information on recreation in the Ruskin Dam area, see our detailed recreation information, including directions on how to access the area by vehicle via Mission or Maple Ridge.