Bluefish Dam Replacement

The Bluefish Dam Hydroelectric Facility generates 25% of Yellowknife’s power at 6.4 megawatts and is only accessible by barge or winter road.

Under a cooperative alignment contract, NAC, along with local and aboriginal-owned companies, constructed the replacement rock dam featuring a stainless steel core, spillway and outlet structure between 2010 and 2012 to extend the life of the facility.

The scope of work at Bluefish consisted of the construction of a new dam, slot trench, bottom outlet structure, overflow spillway structure, and adjacent access roads to replace the existing dam at the Bluefish Hydroelectric Facility.

Bluefish Dam is in a challenging and remote location, 30 km northeast of Yellowknife. Access to the site will include various periods of ice road trucking, barge and helicopter services, as traditional roadways are not available.