BC Hydro has begun a US$670,000 project to upgrade and modernise the monitoring instrumentation at the Mica dam in Canada. The 243m high dam, completed in 1972, is located on the Columbia river about 150km north of Revelstoke. Most of the existing instrumentation at the dam was installed at the time of construction. After almost 30 years of operation, BC Hydro is proposing a new programme of instrumentation with enhanced monitoring capabilities.
New piezometers to be installed at the dam will be equipped with modern automatic data acquisition equipment. In conjunction with manual readings, this new computer controlled system allows data to be obtained with much greater frequency and im-proved accuracy. The digital information will also be accessible from remote locations.
The work, being undertaken by Foundex Explorations and Western Profile Consultants of Revelstoke, will be completed between September and November of this year.