Our Bala Falls small hydro project was spawned from provincial government policy aimed at developing new clean, renewable, ‘green’ sources of power generation in order to reduce Ontario’s dependence on dirty, coal-fired sources of electricity production.  As part of this commitment, Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) undertook a province-wide review of rivers and sites within its jurisdiction to identify those that offered untapped hydroelectric generating potential.  The crown land adjacent to Bala’s North dam was identified as one of these candidate sites.

It was in response to MNR’s competitive request for proposals (December 2004) that Swift River Energy won the right to pursue development of a run-of-the-river hydroelectric generating station on 0.07 hectares (approximate) of Crown lands adjacent to Bala’s North Dam. These lands were the site of a power generating station built by Bala Light and Power Company in 1924(later acquired by Ontario Hydro), until it was demolished in 1972.

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Description

Swift River Energy is proposing to construct a 3 to 5 megawatt (MW) run-of-the-river hydroelectric power facility near the south end of Bala’s existing North dam, located in the village of Bala, in the Township of Muskoka Lakes, Ontario.  This dam is owned by Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources.

Our proposed Bala Falls hydropower development entails:

• the excavation of an approach channel immediately above Bala’s North dam
  
  
• the installation of an intake and a powerhouse structure that would occupy a portion of the 0.07 ha Crown land site
  
  
• a tailrace channel to return water to the Moon River some 40 metres from the base of the North dam’s waterfall

The proposed power station would rely on the hydraulic head created by the existing North dam (about 6 m height) to drive a turbine generator. It would operate only as water levels permit, and, in accordance with the Muskoka River Water Management Plan.  Our proposed Bala Falls power station would not require any structural changes to the North dam.  The power station’s electricity would be delivered by underground cable to Hydro Ones’ distribution system (an existing pole located about 40 metres away, along Highway 169).