Pinawa Dam Provincial Park

50°12′57″N 95°55′43″W / 50.21583°N 95.92861°W / 50.21583; -95.92861Area250,000 m² (62 acres)Established1985Governing bodyGovernment of Manitoba

Dam

Pinawa Dam

StatusDecommissionedOpening date1906Dam and spillwaysImpoundsWinnipeg RiverReservoirCreatesPinawa ChannelPower StationDecommission date1951

Pinawa Dam Provincial Park is a provincial park located north of Pinawa, Manitoba, on Hwy 520, overlooking the Pinawa Channel.^[1]

It was designated a provincial park by the Government of Manitoba in 1985.^[2] The park is 250,000 square metres (62 acres) in size.^[2] The park is considered to be a Class V protected area under the IUCN protected area management categories.^[3]

The park is home to such fish species as walleye, northern pike, catfish, and smallmouth bass; and such animals as white-tailed deer, black bear, fox, and otter.^[4]

History

Pinawa Dam, which began operating in 1906, was originally built to provide residential and commercial hydroelectric power for the city of Winnipeg.^[5]^[4]

The dam was closed in 1951 to allow for the Winnipeg River's full flow to enter the Seven Sisters Generating Station. Parts of the dam were later used for demolition practice by the Canadian Armed Forces, and were thereby destroyed.

The Pinawa Dam Provincial Park today includes the ruins of the former dam, through which water flows and forms rapids and waterfalls.

References

^ "Pinawa Dam Provincial Park". Geographical Names. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
^ ^a ^b A System Plan for Manitoba's Provincial Park (PDF). Government of Manitoba. March 1997. p. 171. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 July 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
^ "Pinawa Dam Provincial Park". Protected Planet. United Nations Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
^ ^a ^b "Parks and Protected Spaces | Conservation and Climate | Province of Manitoba". www.gov.mb.ca. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
^ https://www.gov.mb.ca/sd/pubs/parks-protected-spaces/maps/campground_maps/pinawa_dam.pdf ^{[bare URL PDF]}