W.A.C. Bennett Dam's Crisis of Holes, discovered in 1999

The Sixty-Story Crisis by Anne Mullens

 Unlike a tsunami, the destruction wouldn't simply peak and stop.  The pent-up waters of Williston Lake would just keep coming, seeking to return to its natural elevation.  The waters would flow for weeks, scouring away communities like Old Fort, Taylor, Peace River, Fort Smith and beyond.

What is not mentioned is the NEW ten year project of Site C dam being built at Old Fort aka Fort St. John.

W.A.C. Bennett dam is billed out as being able to withstand a 7.6 tremor.   Do those calculation included the holes, weakening, of the structure's integrity?

Safety Upgrades to W.A.C. Bennett Dam

 W.A.C. Bennett Dam RipRap Upgrades  Procedural Orders

O  R  D  E  R

WHEREAS:

A.      On November 13, 2015, British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) filed the W.A.C. Bennett Dam Riprap Upgrade Project application (Application) and statement of capital expenditures with the British Columbia Utilities Commission (Commission) under section 44.2(1)(b) of the Utilities Commission Act (UCA) and requests acceptance pursuant to section 44.2(3)(a) of the UCA;

B.      The W.A.C. Bennett Dam Riprap Upgrade Project (the Project) will address inadequate long-term erosion protection of the W.A.C. Bennett Dam (the Dam) located on the Peace River approximately eighteen kilometres west of the town of Hudson’s Hope. The Project involves:

•         replacing portions of the failed rock armour layer, also known as riprap, on the upstream face of the Dam;

•         development and operation of the Sand Flat quarry to source the required volume of riprap;

•         transportation by truck of the riprap from the Sand Flat quarry to the Dam; and

•         temporary stockpiling of riprap near the Dam;

C.      The Project cost is estimated at $137.1 million within a range of capital expenditures from $109.7 million to $171.4 million;

D.      Quarry construction is scheduled to start in 2016 and the Project is expected to be completed in 2021; and

E.       The Commission has determined that a public hearing is necessary for the review of the Application.

Snip

Quarry construction is scheduled to start in 2016 which allows for Dam construction to be completed in 2019 and reclamation of the quarry in 2020. The Project cost is estimated at $137.1 million within a range of capital expenditures from $109.7 million (-20%) to $171.4 million (+25%). BC Hydro’s customer rates would initially be impacted in 2018 and for the $137.1 million capital estimate would increase by a maximum 0.18% in 2021. The corresponding maximum rate increase is 0.14% and 0.22% for the -20% and +25% capital cost estimates respectively.