Seven Sisters Hydroelectric Dam, Manitoba

DrFumblefinger 1/5/213:00 AM

Nearly all the electricity generated in the province of Manitoba is clean hydroelectric power. This originates from a number of power stations in the province, many of them located on its eastern edge.

12 Seven Sisters

The Seven Sisters Generating Station is the largest hydroelectric plant on the Winnipeg River. I'd first visited this plant when I was a young boy and have been back a few times since, my last visit just a few months ago.

01 Seven Sisters

02 Seven Sisters (the generating station and its spillway at Seven Sisters)

Last weekend's One Clue Mystery featured the Seven Sisters spillway. It was recognized by the incomparable George G.

Constructions on the Seven Sisters station started in 1929 with its first power generated in 1931 -- 75 megawatts from three turbine-generators. An expansion of the station began in 1948, when three additional generators were installed, increasing capacity to 165 megawatts (annualized to 990 million kilowatthours). The plant is now nearly fully automated, with only minimal on-site staff servicing the facility on a daily basis.

(Seven Sisters generating station)

The powerhouse is 128 meters long and has a throughput of 1,146 cubic metres of water per second, with a total drop of 18.6 metres. The station has a 225 meter long spillway. The upriver reservoir feeding the plant is called Natalie Lake and is used for recreatational activities like boating and fishing.

(Seven Sisters spillway)

When the Seven Sisters plant turned 50 years old , a major rehabilitation project was conducted. It was necessary to repair the station's north dam, the powerhouse, spillway and so on. The station's electrical and mechanical equipment was also upgraded.

(downriver view from the Seven Sisters spillway)

You can learn more about this Seven Sisters' power plant history in this short video clip.

We visited Seven Sisters in early September, and besides the fall colors were treated to hundreds of geese migrating south. Always a sign that winter is not far away.