Brazeau Reservoir, reservoir in Alberta, Canada
Brazeau Reservoir is a large man-made lake in central Alberta along the Brazeau River. The water body stretches up to 13 kilometers long and 6 kilometers wide and is held back by a dam that powers a hydroelectric plant with a capacity of 355 megawatts.
Dam construction began in the early 1960s and finished in 1963. The first turbine started operating in 1965 and has since supplied power to homes and industries in Calgary and surrounding areas.
The reservoir is named after Joseph Brazeau, a linguist and Hudson's Bay Company employee who helped survey the early prairies. Today, the place brings together traditional land use by local communities with modern recreation, showing how people interact with the landscape for different purposes.
The area has three campgrounds with varying facilities, from simple tent sites in wooded areas to developed spots with electrical connections. The location sits about 55 kilometers southwest of Drayton Valley and is accessible via Highway 620 or Highway 11.
The facility has a special pump system that pushes water back up from below the dam, allowing the plant to keep generating power even when water levels drop. This innovative system ensures consistent electricity production regardless of seasonal water fluctuations.
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