Water Stewardship Information Sources
| Citation | BC Hydro. 2011. Coquitlam/Buntzen Watershed: Watershed Plan Final Draft. BC Hydro. |
|---|---|
| Organization | BC Hydro |
| URL | http://fwcp.ca/app/uploads/2015/07/coquitlam_watershed_plan.pdf |
| Abstract/Description or Keywords | The Coquitlam River and Buntzen Lake watersheds lie in the southernmost extension of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia about 30 km northeast of Vancouver (Error! Reference source not found.). The Coquitlam watershed area is 253 km2 (193 km2 above the dam and 60 km2 below), with elevations ranging from 153 m to over 2000 m. The Buntzen Lake watershed has an area of 21 km2 , with elevations of 127 m to 1257 m. The Coquitlam basin is open to south-westerly flows of warm, moist air, which bring heavy rainfall. Approximately 50% of annual precipitation normally falls between October and January. Average precipitation in November is 560 mm; however, it can reach levels of 1000 mm or more. The Coquitlam-Buntzen generating complex includes two dams, a diversion tunnel, two outlet tunnels, and two power houses (Error! Reference source not found.). Coquitlam Dam is at the south end of Coquitlam Lake Reservoir. The dam provide the means for most water storage in the system and controls releases into the lower Coquitlam River. Water from Coquitlam Lake Reservoir is diverted through a tunnel into Buntzen Lake. Water from Buntzen Lake Reservoir flows via two release facilities, one at Buntzen Dam and another on the westernmost shore of the reservoir, to two powerhouses on the shore of Indian Arm. Metro Vancouver operates a separate diversion tunnel from Coquitlam Reservoir for drinking water, with a maximum flow of 13.7 m3 /s. The Coquitlam-Buntzen system is in the asserted traditional use area of five First Nations, including Kwikwetlem First Nation, Tsleil-Waututh First Nation, Katzie First Nation, Squamish First Nation and Musqueam First Nation. It is also within the asserted traditional territory of the Sto:lo Nation. Downstream of the Coquitlam Dam the Coquitlam River flows through the municipalities of Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam. The Upper Coquitlam watershed is within the area addressed by Metro Vancouver‟s Drinking Water Management Strategy. Buntzen Lake is surrounded by both Indian Arm Provincial Park and Buntzen Lake Regional Park. |
| Information Type | report |
| Regional Watershed | Lower Fraser |
| Sub-watershed if known | Coquitlam River |
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| Project status | complete |
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