Dam Safety

BC Hydro plans seismic upgrade of John Hart Dam

BC Hydro plans seismic upgrade of John Hart Dam

BC Hydro announced plans for seismic upgrades for the John Hart Dam on the Campbell River.

“The John Hart dam is a key component of BC Hydro’s infrastructure on Vancouver Island,” says Chris O’Riley, president and chief executive officer of BC Hydro. “The upgrades are required to strengthen the dam so that it can continue to operate safely and reliably.”

BC Hydro has initiated the first stage in the procurement process with a request for proposals for the civil contract. The cost estimate, which will be refined as the project progresses, is CAN$497 million to CAN$822 million (US$383.5 million to $634.2 million).

BC Hydro began consultation with local stakeholders about the potential project in 2014 and is continuing consultation with the We Wai Kai, Wei Wai Kum and K’omoks First Nations.

Construction is expected to begin in 2023 and the upgrades are expected to be complete in 2029. A formal application will be submitted to the BC Utilities Commission in late December for approval, BC Hydro said.

John Hart Dam, built in the 1940s, is about 34 m tall and more than 800 m long. The key components of the John Hart Dam Seismic Upgrade project are new upstream and downstream berms, spillway gate and hoist replacement, a new overflow spillway, and an additional water seepage barrier in the middle earth-fill dam.

The John Hart Dam Seismic Upgrade project follows the last significant upgrade to the John Hart system, which was completion of the John Hart Generating Station Replacement project to build a more efficient, reliable and seismically-sound facility. Vancouver Island is within the most seismically active zone in British Columbia.

The project had four main components:

  • A replacement underground generating station with new equipment, constructed about 500 m to 600 m up the penstock corridor from the existing powerhouse
  • Replacement of three 1.8-km-long pipelines with a single 2.1-km-long tunnel (8.1 m in diameter)
  • A new water intake at the John Hart spillway dam; and
  • A new water bypass facility within the generating station.

BC Hydro also proposed seismic safety upgrade projects at the Ladore and Strathcona facilities within the Campbell River system. Next steps for those projects include the regulatory and procurement processes.