176 replies to this topic

[VicHockeyFan]

Now I'm rethinking this.  Mike Hicks might make this a political thing. 

 

The other thing is, BCH says it's not economical to fix the dam.  Does that mean they plan to retire the thing at some point?  If they don't have an end date, then they should fix it, or build a new one.

[dasmo]

^ Probably build a new one which might be easier if they own Jordan River... Cheaper to buy the properties now under the threat of safety then later under under the context of rebuilding the dam.

[Mr Cook Street]

Once purchased BCH should offer the properties as a park to the province/CRD. Would probably win over enough people (other than the landlords), to negate any negative sentiment.

[D.L.]

The other thing is, BCH says it's not economical to fix the dam.  Does that mean they plan to retire the thing at some point?

 

The dam no longer contains power generating equipment. The power generation is now done further downstream in a run-of-the-river setup. I suppose though that the dam is still used to control the amount of water flow, and to hold a reservoir of water for dry periods.

[VicHockeyFan]

The dam no longer contains power generating equipment. The power generation is now done further downstream in a run-of-the-river setup. I suppose though that the dam is still used to control the amount of water flow, and to hold a reservoir of water for dry periods.

 

It's not really a run-of-river system.  Water from the dam goes down a tunnel and then a pipe to the generating station.

 

https://www.bchydro....ver_island.html

[Bingo]

Now I'm rethinking this.  Mike Hicks might make this a political thing. 

 

The other thing is, BCH says it's not economical to fix the dam.  Does that mean they plan to retire the thing at some point?  If they don't have an end date, then they should fix it, or build a new one.

 

Just get all the residents to sign a waiver that if the dam is fubar after a seismic event they are out of luck.

[VicHockeyFan]

See, now this is getting silly.

 

I think that statistically, you have a much higher chance of dying in a car crash on your way to Jordan River, than you do staying in the campsite.

 

http://www.sookenews.../286599151.html

 

No more overnight camping at Jordan River

 

 

Look, the building I sit in for 10 or more hours per day was built in 1897, and has zero seismic upgrades.  Should we abandon this building?

[Bingo]

See, now this is getting silly.

 

I think that statistically, you have a much higher chance of dying in a car crash on your way to Jordan River, than you do staying in the campsite.

 

http://www.sookenews.../286599151.html

 

 

Yup! Jordon River is probably more in danger from a tsunami than from the damn dam coming apart.

[G-Man]

What happens if you just camp there anyways? I mean it is our park.

[VicHockeyFan]

What happens if you just camp there anyways? I mean it is our park.

 

I presume it'll mean gates and/or parks/police patrols.

[sebberry]

What happens if you just camp there anyways? I mean it is our park.

 

Always bothered me that public places can be closed to the public

[VicHockeyFan]

Another tough shot for the guy that just bought the food outlet there a month ago.

[Nparker]

Maybe the City of Victoria can donate some public art to the park. That'll make it safer.

[dasmo]

Brutal... Once again I wish I was a retired lawyer... I would be getting a class action suit together against BC Hydro.
This scenario only makes sense in the context that BC Hydro wants to buy the houses and buy the park to build some sort of new project.
As VHF points outs out our entire region is at risk if a major one hits. Every house with a gas hookup is at major risk of fire....

[VicHockeyFan]

Ah yes, Tristin Hopper again.  Something about his writing really grinds me.  The photo with the article is good.

 

http://news.national...minutes-or-die/

 

After deciding it would be too expensive to rebuild a 103-year-old dam built in one of the most collapse-prone areas of Canada, British Columbia’s power utility has settled on a controversial plan: Bracing for a disastrous flood.

 

 

“[I]n a magnitude 9 earthquake, the people down below would have 10 or 15 minutes to get out of there, or I guess the bottom line is that they would all die,” said Mike Hicks, municipal director for the area.

 

[Sparky]

Perhaps that dam has simply outlived it's usefulness. Maybe it is time to let the watercourse go back to it's natural state like it was before the dam was built. Maybe it's time to let downstream property owners live without worry.  I am too lazy to research just exactly how much power this dam contributes to the grid in British Columbia, but I would hazard a guess that it's not much. 

 

Mr. Hydro.......tear down that wall.

[VicHockeyFan]

Perhaps that dam has simply outlived it's usefulness. Maybe it is time to let the watercourse go back to it's natural state like it was before the dam was built. Maybe it's time to let downstream property owners live without worry.  I am too lazy to research just exactly how much power this dam contributes to the grid in British Columbia, but I would hazard a guess that it's not much. 

 

Mr. Hydro.......tear down that wall.

 

1/6 of the Island's power, esp. in peak times.  They say they can't lower the water level, they need the power.  I dunno.  If it goes in the quake, does that mean we have brownouts daily?

[SamCB]

Perhaps that dam has simply outlived it's usefulness. Maybe it is time to let the watercourse go back to it's natural state like it was before the dam was built. Maybe it's time to let downstream property owners live without worry.  I am too lazy to research just exactly how much power this dam contributes to the grid in British Columbia, but I would hazard a guess that it's not much. 

 

Mr. Hydro.......tear down that wall.

This scenario makes the most sense. It would be a Win for the environmentalists & the residents. 

How BCH would make up the difference... there's a good question...

[jonny]

I don't get it. BCH says they can't or won't upgrade the dam. At the end of Hopper's article he states that BCH is "not aware of any dams in the world” capable of safely damming this river. At the beginning of the same article, the cost of replacement is cited as a reason it is not being replaced.

 

BCH hasn't been shy about saying how much they need the power from this dam. 170 MW isn't huge, but it also isn't negligible.

 

So it's a super valuable asset BCH won't replace but can't live without. Alright then...

 

If the big one hits, the last thing anybody's going to be worried about is 11 houses in Jordan River (sorry Jordan Riverites). Why is BCH making such a fuss about this? Inform the landowners of the issue, offer to purchase their property at fair market value and be done with it. If they understand the risks and still don't want to sell, then that's their prerogative.

[VicHockeyFan]

If the big one hits, the last thing anybody's going to be worried about is 11 houses in Jordan River (sorry Jordan Riverites). Why is BCH making such a fuss about this? Inform the landowners of the issue, offer to purchase their property at fair market value and be done with it. If they understand the risks and still don't want to sell, then that's their prerogative.

 

This makes a lot of sense, esp. your first line.  And install the warning system, that sounds useful.  For people driving through the zone too.