Coquitlam Lake

Coquitlam Lake
Coquitlam Lake
Location	North of Coquitlam, British Columbia
Coordinates	49°24′N 122°47′W / 49.400°N 122.783°W / 49.400; -122.783Coordinates: 49°24′N 122°47′W / 49.400°N 122.783°W / 49.400; -122.783
Type	Reservoir
Primary inflows	Coquitlam River
Primary outflows	Coquitlam River
Basin countries	Canada
Surface area	11 km2 (4.2 sq mi)
Surface elevation	154 m (505 ft)
Islands	Coquitlam Island

Coquitlam Lake is a reservoir located just north of Coquitlam, British Columbia. It is one of the three main water sources for Metro Vancouver, and part of the Coquitlam watershed. It is also a part of BC Hydro's power generation system. A tunnel directs water from the lake to nearby Buntzen Lake, and from there to a pair of power stations.^[1]

History[]

Construction of the tunnel between Coquitlam Lake and Buntzen Lake began in 1902 and finished in 1905, supplying water to powerhouses on Indian Arm, which supplied electricity to Vancouver.^[2]

The first Coquitlam Dam, built to raise the water level by 5 feet (1.52 m), was begun in April 1904 and completed in 1905. It was built to protect the water supply to the powerhouses, and also supplied water to New Westminster.^[2] By 1906 the original dam was discovered to be leaking, and while repairs were made the leak continued through 1908, until the current dam was completed in 1914.

References[]

External links[]

• Coquitlam Lake at BCGNIS^{[permanent dead link]}