La Grande
La Grande is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index, part of the La Grande Rivière system. Robert-Bourassa Dam (LG-2) stands on this watercourse and is written up below. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Dams Recorded
- 1
- System
- La Grande Rivière
- Coordinates
- 53.68°, -74.44°
About La Grande
La Grande River (French: La Grande Rivière, pronounced [la ɡʁɑ̃d ʁivjɛʁ]; Cree: Chisasibi; both meaning "great river") is a river in northwestern Quebec, Canada, rising in the highlands of the north-central part of the province and flowing roughly 900 km (560 mi) west to its drainage at James Bay. It is the second-longest river in the province, surpassed only by the Saint Lawrence River.
Originally, the La Grande River drained an area of 97,400 km2 (37,600 sq mi), and had a mean discharge of 1,690 m3/s (60,000 cu ft/s). Since the 1980s, when hydroelectric development diverted the Eastmain and Caniapiscau rivers into the La Grande, its total catchment area has increased to about 175,000 km2 (68,000 sq mi), with its mean discharge being more than 3,400 m3/s (120,000 cu ft/s). In November 2009, the Rupert River was also (partially) diverted, adding another 31,430 km2 (12,140 sq mi) to the basin.
At one time, the La Grande was known as the "Fort George River". The Hudson's Bay Company operated a trading post on the river, at Big River House, between 1803 and 1824. In 1837, a larger trading post was established at Fort George, on an island at the mouth of the river.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: La Grande River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
La Grande: Key Facts
| Length | 893 km |
|---|---|
| Drainage basin | 97,600 km² |
| Source | Lac Nichicun |
| Mouth | James Bay |
| Drainage system | James Bay Basin |
| Tributaries | Sakami River, Rivière Laforge, Rivière Achazi, Rivière Asatawasach, Rivière Chisasipis |
Facts from Wikidata Q31379 (CC0).
Robert-Bourassa Dam (LG-2)
Robert-Bourassa Dam (LG-2)
Rock-fill dam · Quebec, Canada
Robert-Bourassa Dam (LG-2) is a rock-fill dam on the La Grande in Quebec, Canada, standing 162 m (531 ft) high and completed in 1979. It carries an installed hydroelectric capacity of 5,616 MW. The structure impounds Robert-Bourassa Reservoir.
The Robert-Bourassa generating station, formerly known as La Grande-2 (LG-2), is a hydroelectric power station on the La Grande River that is part of Hydro-Québec's James Bay Project in Canada. The station can generate 5,616 MW and its 16 units were gradually commissioned between 1979 and 1981. Annual generation is in the vicinity of 26500 GWh.
Together with the adjacent 2,106 MW La Grande-2-A generating station (LG-2-A), commissioned in 1991–1992, it uses the reservoir and dam system of the Robert-Bourassa Reservoir to generate electricity. The two plants taken together account for more than 20% of Hydro-Québec's total installed capacity of 36,810 MW in 2009. It is Canada's largest hydroelectric power station, ranks in 15th place on the list of largest hydroelectric power stations and is the world's largest underground power station.
Initially known as La Grande-2, it was renamed after Robert Bourassa who, as Premier of Quebec (1970–1976 and 1985–1994), gave the James Bay Project a vital political impetus.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Robert-Bourassa generating station (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Dam type
- Rock-fill
- Structural height
- 162 m (531 ft)
- Installed capacity
- 5,616 MW
- Impounded river
- La Grande
- Reservoir
- Robert-Bourassa Reservoir
- Location
- Quebec, Canada
- Year completed
- 1979
- Height rank
- #26 of 115 indexed
- Output rank
- #13 of 102 indexed
- Coordinates
- 53.7917°, -77.5306°
Notable: Flagship of James Bay Hydroelectric Project; houses the world's largest underground generating station.
Among the 115 dams indexed in YearMaps, Robert-Bourassa Dam (LG-2) ranks #26 by structural height, behind Jinping-I Dam (305 m). By installed generating capacity it ranks #13, behind Three Gorges Dam (22,500 MW).
Nearest cities: Rouyn-Noranda (625 km), Val d'Or (631 km), Timmins (649 km).
More about Robert-Bourassa Dam (LG-2)
Construction
The main dam is located 117.5 kilometers (73.0 mi) from the mouth of the river, in the transition zone between the plateau and the coastal plain, and has a maximum height of 162 meters (531 ft). Twenty-nine dykes of various sizes close the reservoir. They are organized in three group: dykes D1-D4 are located north of the spillway, nicknamed the Staircase of the Giants, D5-D14 are located on the left shore of the river while a third group, nicknamed the Duncan dykes (D17-D27), are located 30 kilometers (19 mi) south. The dam and dykes hold a reservoir covering an area of 2,835 square kilometres (1,095 mi2) with a useful capacity of 19.365 billion m3.
The generating station itself is located 137.2 meters (450 ft) underground, 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) downstream from the main dam.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Robert-Bourassa generating station (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Robert-Bourassa Dam (LG-2): Key Facts
| Crest length | 2,835 m |
|---|
Facts from Wikidata Q1456859 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
La Grande: Quick Answers
- Where is La Grande?
- La Grande is located in Canada, at 53.6839° N, 74.4390° W.
- Are there dams on the La Grande?
- Yes. YearMaps records one dam on the La Grande: Robert-Bourassa Dam (LG-2).
- How tall is Robert-Bourassa Dam (LG-2)?
- Robert-Bourassa Dam (LG-2) is 162 metres (531 ft) high and was completed in 1979.
- Which river system is the La Grande part of?
- The La Grande is part of the La Grande Rivière system.