Furry Creek Hydroelectric Power Project
The Furry Creek Hydroelectric Power Project is a run-of-the-river power development, located on Furry Creek, which flows into Howe Sound about 13 kilometres south of Squamish B.C. With a capacity of 10.458 megawatts, the Furry Creek Generating Station is expected to generate approximately 44 gigawatt hours per year, sufficient to supply the needs of approximately 4,400 homes.
Owned by Furry Creek Power Ltd., the project was constructed in 29 months and began operations in early June of 2004, with the final project costs expected to top out at $18.8 million.
The project consists of a small diversion weir equipped with an inflatable Obermeyer gate to maintain a constant head level. The resultant head pond supplies water, through two sets of screens, to a 3,170-metre long, 1.2-metre diameter penstock. This water conduit is constructed variously of polyethylene plastic, ductile iron and welded steel, as the pressure increases down the mountain, and is 95% buried. The total head is 363 meters, producing 510 psi of pressure, at the inlet of a single vertical Pelton impulse turbine and generator. The plant generates at 13.8 kV, is stepped up to 69 kV through a power transformer at site and interconnects via a 1.5-km line to BC Hydro's 69 kV transmission circuit between Squamish and Lions Bay. The project is built almost entirely on Crown land.
The Squamish Nation, on whose traditional lands the project was built, were consulted extensively during the early stages of the project, and have benefited from the project through their ownership, revenue sharing and job opportunities during construction.
"It was recognized early on that Furry Creek provides spawning habitat to five species of salmon, whose passage upstream is prohibited by the falls at the golf course clubhouse, about one kilometre downstream from where the powerhouse returns the water to the creek. Extra care was taken during construction to control silt and foreign materials from reaching the creek," said Furry Creek Power President Don Swoboda. "And now that the project has become operational, compensation measures, as part of the Conditional Water License, are being implemented, such as placement of gravel in two locations in the creek, establishment of a supplemental water supply for fry migration during the dry summer months to Middle Creek, a small tributary of Furry Creek, and a financial contribution to the excellent stewardship work of the local Streamkeepers group. And finally, we will have professional biologists monitor the conditions of the stream, including Harlequin Ducks, over the next five years to ensure we have minimized our impact on the environment. "
Dan Eaton, Chairman of Furry Creek Power adds: "Our company is very proud of the project we have built at Furry Creek, our relationships with the community, the Squamish Nation and the skilled crews who have built it. We believe it will serve the needs of many of BC Hydro's customers with a superior, sustainable and environmentally respectful source of electricity for generations to come."
Last Modified: Nov 24, 2005
