Island Falls Hydroelectric Station
| Island Falls | |
|---|---|
Island Falls powerhouse | |
Island Falls Location in Saskatchewan Island Falls Island Falls (Canada) | |
Interactive map of Island Falls | |
| Country | Canada |
| Location | Northern Saskatchewan Administration District |
| Coordinates | 55°31′44″N 102°21′25″W / 55.52889°N 102.35694°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1928 |
| Opening date | 1930 |
| Built by | Churchill River Power Company |
| Owner | SaskPower |
| Operator | SaskPower |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Churchill River |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Sokatisewin Lake |
| Catchment area | 210,000 km2 (81,000 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 4,708 ha (11,630 acres) |
| Island Falls Hydroelectric Station | |
| Operator | SaskPower |
| Commission date | 1930 |
| Turbines | 7 |
| Installed capacity | 111 MW (149,000 hp) |
| Website SaskPower | |
Island Falls is a hydroelectric power station in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It is operated by SaskPower — a Crown corporation — and is situated on the Churchill River about 97 kilometres (60 mi) northwest of Flin Flon, Manitoba. Island Falls was the first hydroelectric power plant in Saskatchewan. It was built between 1928 and 1930 by the Churchill River Power Company, a subsidiary of Hudbay, to provide electricity for the Hudbay mining operations at Flin Flon and Cold Lake, Manitoba.
The drainage basin above the power site covers much of northwest Saskatchewan, about 210,000 square kilometres (81,000 sq mi). The basin contains several large lakes providing natural reservoirs, the largest one being Reindeer Lake at 6,650 square kilometres (2,570 sq mi). The dam itself crosses the Churchill River creating the 4,708-hectare (11,630-acre) Sokatisewin Lake. On the downstream side of the dam, the Churchill River flows into Wasawakasik Lake. The river's "mean annual flow volume" at the dam is 21,620,000 dam3 (17,530,000 acre⋅ft).
As part of the consolidation of generation sources in the province, SaskPower purchased the plant from HBM&S in 1981, which continued to operate it for several years. Since 1985 the plant is entirely owned and operated by SaskPower.