Dickson Dam
{{Short description|Dam in Red Deer County, Alberta, Canada}}
{{Infobox dam
| name = Dickson Dam
| name_official =
| image = DicksonDam.jpg
| image_size = 250px
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| location_map = Alberta
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| coordinates = {{coord|52|03|06|N|114|13|07|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| country = Canada
| location = Red Deer County, Alberta
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| plant_commission = January 16, 1992
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| plant_turbines = 3 × 5 MW Barber turbines
| plant_capacity = 15 MW
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Dickson Dam is a flow-regulation dam constructed in 1983 which impounded the Red Deer River creating a reservoir known as Gleniffer Lake.{{Cite web |url=http://environment.gov.ab.ca/info/posting.asp?assetid=7982&categoryid=5 |title=Alberta Environment - Information Centre - View Publication |access-date=2012-06-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418201635/http://environment.gov.ab.ca/info/posting.asp?assetid=7982&categoryid=5 |archive-date=2012-04-18 |url-status=dead }} The dam is {{convert|20|km|mi|abbr=on}} west of the town of Innisfail and {{convert|50|km|mi|abbr=on}} southwest of the city of Red Deer. The dam was created to control for floods and low winter flows, to improve quality of the river, to create a recreational resource and to provide a reliable, year-round water supply sufficient for future industrial, regional and municipal growth.{{cite web |url=http://environment.gov.ab.ca/info/library/7982.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2012-06-17 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120409212305/http://environment.gov.ab.ca/info/library/7982.pdf |archivedate=2012-04-09 }}
Generation
All water control structures at the site, including the dam, intake, headgates, and spillway, are owned by the Province of Alberta and administered by Alberta Environment and Water.http://www.algonquinpower.com/business/facility/hydroelectric_dickson.asp {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100822062730/http://algonquinpower.com/business/facility/hydroelectric_dickson.asp |date=2010-08-22 }} Official website Algonquin Power owns a small hydropower station that was added to the dam. It consists of three 5 MW Barber turbines with Ideal Generators. Commercial operations began on January 16, 1992. Water management of the reservoir is directed by the provincial Ministry of Environment and Water.
Under the Dickson Power Purchase Agreement signed in 1990, all electrical power generated by the facility was sold to TransAlta Utilities Corporation. The 20-year contract expired on January 16, 2012.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}{{Update inline|date=October 2024}}
Low reservoir water levels were a concern in 2010.{{Cite web |url=http://www.albertalocalnews.com/reddeeradvocate/news/Reservoir_slowly_returns_to_normal_95508039.html |title=Red Deer Advocate - Reservoir slowly returns to normal |access-date=2010-12-14 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718055347/http://www.albertalocalnews.com/reddeeradvocate/news/Reservoir_slowly_returns_to_normal_95508039.html |archive-date=2012-07-18 |url-status=dead }}
Gleniffer Reservoir Provincial Recreation Area
In the summer of 2009, Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation consolidated six provincial recreation areas (PRAs) at Dickson Dam and around Gleniffer Lake (Dickson Dam–Cottonwood PRA, Dickson Dam–Dickson Point PRA, Dickson Dam–North Dyke PRA, Dickson Dam–South Dyke PRA, Dickson Dam–North Valley PRA, Dickson Dam–South Valley PRA) into one PRA renamed Gleniffer Reservoir PRA.{{Cite web |url=http://www.tpr.alberta.ca/parks/consult/dicksonDam/ |title=Alberta TPR - Parks - Dickson Dam PRAs |access-date=2012-06-17 |archive-date=2012-04-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120409194640/http://www.tpr.alberta.ca/parks/consult/dicksonDam/ |url-status=dead }} Motorboating, waterskiing, swimming, and sailboarding are allowed. There are rainbow trout in a trout pond.{{Cite web | url=http://www.town.bowden.ab.ca/tourism.html |title = Town of Bowden Alberta | Tourist Information | Visitor Information | Bowden Campgrounds | Red Lodge Guest Ranch | Bowden Daze | Pioneer Museum | Bowden Sunmaze}} Northern pike, walleye, mountain whitefish, and brown trout are also found nearby.{{Cite web |url=http://sportfisherman.net/sportfish/lakes-rivers/alberta/dickson_dam/dickson.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=2010-12-14 |archive-date=2012-04-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402111844/http://sportfisherman.net/sportfish/lakes-rivers/alberta/dickson_dam/dickson.htm |url-status=dead }}