The Sechelt Creek 16 Mw run-of-river hydroelectricity project was completed in 1997 by Regional Power Inc. of Toronto.  The project is situated 20 km northeast of Sechelt, British Columbia, and is connected to a 138 kV line of the BC-Hydro grid.  The photos below are from a visit to the site in September 2003.

Click here for a location map of the Sechelt Inlet region.  Click here for a bigger version of the map above. Click on one of the links below to see photos from that area of the project

Scenic views Main weir Jackson weir Lower crossing Falls Power house Spawning channel

Click on any of the images below to see a larger version

A view of Salmon Inlet (looking W) and views of the valley of Sechelt Creek looking (SE) from Salmon inlet

 

The main weir, the main intake (both looking downstream) and the intake pond (looking upstream) at the 360 m level of Sechelt Creek

 

Looking upstream and looking down onto the secondary intake on Jackson Creek, about 200 m from the main intake

 

The intake dam control bladders (looking usptream), the first crossing of the penstock over Sechelt Ck. (looking usptream towards the weir), an unused piece of the penstock pipe (with Marlen and his dog Jersey)

 

Top of the steep drop to the lower crossing (looking down) and bottom (looking up), penstock and concrete support piers of the lower crossing of Sechelt Creek

 

Two views of the lower part of the falls, and the natural pool at the base of the falls (Power house behind)

 

Power house and part of the mill race from above (with Sechelt Creek in the background), power house and the mill race, the mill race entering Sechelt Creek (showing installation for pumping creek water into the spawning channel if necessary)

 

Inside the power house: Four views of the two 8.3 Mw turbines, shut-off valve on the pipe leading to one of the turbines, the transformer and the transmission line leading to BC Hydro's 138 kV Clowhom-Sechelt line. 

 

The constructed salmon spawning channel: looking upstream towards the outlet from the power house (power house is about 25 m beyond the outlet), looking downstream, looking downstream past a refuge side-channel, a spawning salmon (observed Sept. 30, 2003)

Website by: Steven Earle, Geology Department, Malaspina University-College, Nanaimo, B.C. (http://www.mala.bc.ca/~earles) October 2003

With thanks to James Carter and Marlen Nerland of Regional Power Inc. (http://www.regionalpower.com/)