WAC Bennett Dam Visitor Info:
Please call 250 783-5048 or 1 888 333-6667
for information and bookings.

Peace Canyon Dam Visitor Info:
Please call 250-783-7400 for information and bookings.

The Williston Reservoir is located in north central British Columbia. The reservoir extends 200km north from Mackenzie along the Parsnip and Finlay Reaches of Williston Reservoir. These join to meet the Peace Reach which extends 100km
east to WAC Bennett Dam near Hudson’s Hope.

Road access to the Peace Reach is via Hudson’s Hope and the WAC Bennett Dam. Road access from Mackenzie to the Parsnip Reach and Finlay Forks is via the Parsnip West Forest Service Road on the east side of the reservoir. Access to the west side of the Parsnip Reach is via the Finlay Forest Service Road.

Williston Lake is the largest reservoir in B.C. It has a surface area of 1,773 square kilometers. The WAC Bennett Dam is the controlling structure for the Reservoir. The dam is 186 metres high and 2,068 metres long along its crest. The WAC Bennett Dam and Generating Facilities (GM Shrum) were constructed between 1961 and 1968. The generating capacity at the GM Shrum Generating Station is 2,730,000 kilowatts.

Boat Launch Ramps
A boat launch ramp is located on the Parsnip Reach near Mackenzie (BC Hydro’s Alexander Mackenzie’s Landing Recreation Area). Cut Thumb Bay, Six Mile Bay, and Finlay Forks provide access for car top type boats only. Ramps on the Peace Reach are located at Elizabeth Creek and at Dunlevy Inlet (only usable at high reservoir levels). Generally the boat launch ramps are unusable at very low water levels which normally occur just after ice breakup.

Williston Reservoir begins to freeze over during November and continues until mid-January when total freeze-up usually occurs.

Snowmobiling and other winter activities are common on Williston Lake. When using the frozen surface of the reservoir extreme caution must be exercised as winter hazards include pressure ridges, gas holes, open water, and broken shoreline ice. Rapid temperature changes that may cause ice melt and extreme cold and wind are also hazards to the wintertime users.

During the winter season an ice- breaking barge is in service on Williston Reservoir which results in open water and thin ice. Use of the water channels is not recommended during the winter season and snowmobilers must exercise extreme caution.

The area in the vicinity of the WAC Bennett Dam water intakes is extremely dangerous during the winter freeze-up. Reservoir users must stay well back from the structures and obey all posted signs.

Some locations on the reservoir provide excellent angling for bull trout, rainbow trout, rocky mountain whitefish and lake whitefish. Fishing licenses are required; these may be purchased at local merchants or Government Agents. Be sure to check the Freshwater Fishing Regulations Synopsis for provincial angling restrictions. For more information on fishing click here!

Since 1968 BC Hydro has implemented a surface debris clearing program on the reservoir. BC Hydro remains committed to the goals of the program — to create a safe, attractive waterway available to the public for recreational use.
BC Hydro’s clearing program is ongoing, therefore, debris may be encountered at any time in all areas of the reservoir.

All persons intending to operate a boat on Williston Reservoir should always:

• Obey all boater safety laws, which include carrying emergency equipment and wearing lifejackets.
• Carry extra shear pins and a spare propeller.
• Inform others of your destination and when you are to return.
• Observe all warning signs and stay well away from BC Hydro's dams and structures.

Extreme caution and an awareness and appreciation of hazards are essential for safe boating on Williston Reservoir.
Williston Reservoir is a very large and potentially hazardous reservoir for the unwary. Boaters are cautioned that when the reservoir is not at its maximum level, snags and stumps may lie just below the water surface. Floating and submerged debris may be encountered in all areas of the reservoir. Boaters should also be aware of strong winds that occur suddenly, causing high waves (over 2 metres) and strong currents.

The banks of the reservoir are easily eroded and subject to sloughing from reservoir actions. If wave action is severe and you need to reach shore, it may be difficult to make a safe landing due to cliffs, unstable banks and/ or floating or submerged debris along the shoreline.
Boaters who are not experienced with large cold lakes, natural and man- made hazards of reservoirs, and isolation from other users, should remain in sheltered areas.
Generally the reservoir level is lower during winter reaching a low water elevation in May. The reservoir reaches maximum levels in August after runoff from yearly snowmelt. A normal yearly reservoir change could be 18 meters.

WAC Bennett Dam

The WAC Bennett Dam is one of the largest earth filled dams in the world, offers scheduled tours of the underground powerhouse, a collection of hands on exhibits, and a video presentation. Behind the dam is Williston Lake, the largest man made reservoir in North America. It offers excellent fishing and boating, as well as the opportunity to find fossils in the surrounding area.

Photo credit to Coleman Mercereau

The Visitors Centre, overlooking Williston Lake Reservoir, offers a wide range of exhibits and an audio-visual theatre. It is located just 25 km west (20 minutes) from downtown Hudson's Hope on Canyon Drive. The centre has on hand exhibits, video presentations and offers a underground powerhouse tour which takes you 500 feet below ground!
A 25-seat deli-style cafe on the ground floor is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Victoria Day (May) weekend to September 7, 2009:

• Open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Underground powerhouse tours 500 feet below ground!
• Reservations for large groups are welcomed and appreciated.
• School and tour groups welcome.
• Admission fees apply.

September 8, 2009 to September 27, 2009:

• Open Thursday to Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Underground powerhouse tours 500 feet below ground!
• Reservations for large groups are welcomed and appreciated.
• School and tour groups welcome.
• Admission fees apply.

Off season – September 28, 2009 to Victoria Day weekend:
Tours are available for school groups only. School tours for kindergarten to grade 12 are by appointment only and require two weeks advance notice. Please call 250 783-5048 or 1 888 333-6667 for information and bookings.

Peace River Generation Facilities are located near the town of Hudson's Hope in northeast British Columbia. Take Highway 29 to Hudson's Hope, approximately 65 km north of Chetwynd and 80 km west of Fort St. John. In Hudson's Hope, at the junction of Highway 29 and Canyon Drive, follow the signs 21 km west along Canyon Drive to the Visitor Centre. The road is well marked.

Photo is courtesy of BC Hydro

Peace Canyon Dam

The Peace Canyon Dam, situated at the outlet of the Peace River Canyon 23 km (14 miles) downstream from W.A.C. Bennett Dam, reuses water which has already generated electricity at the Gordon M. Shrum power station. The two Peace River power developments have an ultimate rated capacity of 3,425,000 kW.

Visitor Information

The Peace Canyon Visitor Center offers a series of displays on the unique history and achievements of our Explorers, Pioneers, First Nations, and the construction of the Peace Canyon Dam. There are also two life size displays of duck-billed dinosaurs. The visitor Centre is located 7 km south of Hudson's Hope off of Highway 29 South, next to Dinosaur Lake Campground. This hydro electric dam can be seen from the Hudson's Hope bridge.

Hours of Operation

Victoria Day (May) weekend to the end of the Labour Day (September) long weekend:

• Open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Reservations for large groups are welcomed and appreciated.
• School and tour groups welcome.

Off season – September to Victoria Day weekend:
Tours are available for school groups only. School tours for kindergarten to grade 12 are by appointment only and require two weeks advance notice. Please call 250 783-7400 or 1 888 333-6667 for information and bookings.

History and Hydroelectric Operation

The Peace Canyon project is the second hydroelectric development to harness the turbulent water of the Peace River, which plunges from the Rocky Mountain Trench to the Mackenzie River system, and the Arctic Ocean.

The W.A.C. Bennett Dam at the head of the Peace River Canyon, is key to the multiple uses of Peace River water for power generation. Completed in 1967, it is one of the world's largest earth fill structures, stretching 2 km (1.25 miles) across the head of the canyon and measuring 183 m (600 feet) in height. Behind the dam is British Columbia's largest reservoir, Williston Lake, which covers an area of 166,000 h (410,000 acres).

Gordon M. Shrum Generating Station at Bennett Dam has the capacity to generate over 13 billion kWh annually. The powerhouse, carved deep in bedrock under the east shoulder of Bennett Dam, was the largest underground powerhouse in the world when it began generating electricity in 1968.

During the construction of the WAC Bennett Dam, which took five years, at it’s peak the workers were numbered at 4800.  That’s just the workers.  Could you imagine what the impact was on the town with families counted in as well?