Lower Bonnington Dam - Bonnington Falls, BC
Posted by: 
T0SHEA
N 49° 27.777 W 117° 30.216
11U E 463508 N 5479043
Of the five dams now on this 4.5 km. stretch of the Kootenay River, this was the first one constructed. It is just over 17 km. downstream from the city of Nelson.
Waymark Code: WMH99V
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 06/10/2013
Views: 2
Construction on this dam began in 1895 and it first produced power in 1897. The dam and generating station were built to supply power to the mines in Rossland, 32 miles away. When built, the transmission lines from Lower Bonnington to Rossland were the longest and, at 22,000 volts, the highest voltage lines known.
The present dam is actually the second to be built on the site, as the first, a rock filled wood crib dam, was demolished and a new concrete dam poured in 1924. The powerhouse was reconstructed in 1964 and presently houses three generators producing an aggregate 54 MW of power.
Coordinates are at the observation pullout on the highway.