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Hydro Development on the Kipawa Watershed
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You would think that a river with as much natural beauty, history and cultural heritage, and natural heritage, might have some level of immunity from hydro development.
We wish that were true. But the Laniel to Lake Temiscaming section of the Kipawa River is currently under serious threat from two competing hydro development proposals. Both of these projects involve the complete diversion of the Kipawa River from its natural course, into alternate outflows from Kipawa Lake to feed Quebec's insatiable appitite for hydro power. Erasing the Kipawa River from the landscape of Quebec would be a crime. Hydro power is NOT clean. The Kipawa River is a special place. It needs to be protected. |
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| The Tabaret Kipawa River Diversion Project In 1998 Hydro Québec announced plans to build a new hydroelectric generating station on the Québec side of Lake Témiscamingue. The site is attractive because of the 90 m drop from Lake Kipawa to Lake Témiscamingue, and because Lake Kipawa and the adjoining lakes upstream represent a rather large reservoir of water (284 km2). Lake Kipawa has two outlets, the Kipawa River and Gordon Brook. The Kipawa River is the only natural outflow from the lake. The Gordon outflow was built in 1911 to bring water to the town of Temiscaming. Dams were built on these two waterways to contribute to flood control on the Ottawa River. The lake empties into the Kipawa River through the Laniel Dam and into Gordon Brook through the Kipawa Dam. The federal department of public works owns and operates both dams. HQ wants to create a new outlet from Lake Kipawa by digging a canal to two small lakes and building a new dam and generating station. The proposed site is between Laniel and the town of Temiscaming. The project will require the construction of about 5 km of road, the rebuilding of about 1 km of Hwy 101, and construction of a new bridge. More Information –> pamphlet.pdf |
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| The Temiscamingue Project Even if Hydro-Québec Tabaret changed its mind on a Kipawa River diversion, the threat to the river would not disappear. For several years, a local group has been promoting an alternative development on the Kipawa watershed. This "private" project would involve the construction of a new 30 mW generating station at the town of Temiscamingue, and the diversion of water from the Kipawa River. Algonquin First Nation communities are involved in this project, along with local municipalities. The Temiscamingue Project is smaller, less intrusive on the landscape than Tabaret. But it is still fundamentally flawed and will have a very destructive impact on the Kipawa River. Les Amis de la Rivière Kipawa does not support this project because it involves a significant diversion of water from the natural streambed of the Kipawa River. In fact our understanding is that the Temiscamingue Project would divert the same amount of water from the Kipawa as Tabaret. |
