Coquitlam-Buntzen Diversion Tunnel

In 1902, the Coquitlam-Buntzen facilities – comprised of the Coquitlam Dam, the Coquitlam Diversion Tunnel and Lake Buntzen 1 Powerhouse – were built to provide electricity to the city of New Westminster.

The 3.9-kilometre Coquitlam Diversion Tunnel was built and later expanded between 1909 and 1911, to divert water from the Coquitlam Reservoir to Lake Buntzen Reservoir to generate electricity at the Lake Buntzen 1 Powerhouse. The tunnel is also used to control the water level of the Coquitlam Reservoir which provides water for Metro Vancouver and help maintain Lake Buntzen Reservoir's water levels for recreation. The last major update of the Coquitlam-Buntzen facilities was completed in 1955.

What's new

We've now completed the required upgrades to the Coquitlam-Buntzen diversion tunnel, and the project is in service with temporary power and local controls. The commissioning of permanent power and remote controls is scheduled for August 2024.

As part of the project, we're also building a sockeye salmon experimental hatchery in partnership with Kwikwetlem First Nation. This hatchery will determine the effectiveness of increasing smolt production, with the hatchery's production target being 25,000 smolts per year. Work is ongoing on the hatchery, and is scheduled to be completed by November 2024.

What we did

We replaced the three gates in the tunnel that are used to control the flow of water through the tunnel to bring them up to modern-day standards and seismic operability. We also installed new control equipment to allow for remote monitoring of the facilities.

This work will ensure continued reliability of the tunnel so that we can safely transfer water from Coquitlam Reservoir to Lake Buntzen Reservoir.

Contact us

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact us:

Email: projects@bchydro.com
Phone: 1 866 647 3334
Toll free: 1 866 647 3334