News/Reports
Forgotten Giants of the Nechako River
Written by June Wood, Author, Home to the Nechako
The Nechako River originates in the northern reaches of the Interior Plateau of British Columbia, in a vast chain of lakes that stretches to the north and to the south, on the eastern border of the Coast Mountains. Prior to Alcan’s construction of the Kenney dam in 1952, this chain of spectacular lakes was connected by vibrant, productive rivers that ultimately emptied into the Nechako River at the outlet of Natalkuz Lake. The Nechako was then the second largest tributary to the Fraser River. Now, approximately 70% of the Nechako’s water is diverted westward through a 16 kilometre long diversion tunnel through Mount Dubose in the Tahtsa Range. The diverted water is used to generate electricity to provide power for Rio Tinto Alcan’s aluminum smelter at Kitimat and also to sell to B. C. Hydro. There is no water outlet at the Kenney Dam, instead the impounded water is backed up and the flow regulated through gates at Skins Lake. From there the water moves through Cheslatta and Murray Lakes before emptying into the Nechako river-bed eight kilometres below the Kenney Dam.