Important dam safety project nearing completion in northeast Ontario
At a glance
- OPG’s Little Long Dam Safety Project will improve dam safety on the Mattagami River in the event of extreme weather.
- The project supports OPG’s Climate Change Plan and has led to increased business opportunities for Indigenous vendors.
- The dam safety project is on schedule to be completed in 2024.
![OPG is nearing completion of the Little Long Dam Safety project.](https://www.opg.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2023-05-03-3-395x230.jpg)
In northeast Ontario, a major dam safety project is heading into the home stretch.
OPG is nearing completion of the Little Long Dam Safety Project, about 90 kilometres north of Kapuskasing, which improves dam safety on the Mattagami River in the event of extreme flood events.
Since construction commenced in 2021, four additional sluice gates have now been added to the Adam Creek sluiceway structure, bringing the total number of gates from the original eight to 12. The project team also replaced end-of-life gates and associated equipment at both the Adam Creek sluiceway and the nearby Little Long Generating Station (GS) sluiceway structure.
The overall project is set to be completed in 2024.
Being able to report that the project is nearing completion, on time and on budget, is a testament to the collaboration between various groups, including the OPG team, project contractors, Indigenous communities, local residents, and regulators.Tranal ChowProject Manager with OPG
![Since construction commenced in 2021, four additional sluice gates have now been added to the Adam Creek sluiceway structure, bringing the total number of gates from the original eight to 12.](https://www.opg.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/20220518_150135-395x230.jpg)
This important work ensures extreme floodwater can safely bypass OPG’s four Lower Mattagami River stations, which include the Little Long, Smoky Falls, Harmon, and Kipling hydro generating facilities. It also helps OPG comply with updated dam safety requirements established by the Province of Ontario.
“Being able to report that the project is nearing completion, on time and on budget, is a testament to the collaboration between various groups, including the OPG team, project contractors, Indigenous communities, local residents, and regulators,” said Project Manager Tranal Chow. “Once the remaining sluice gate work is complete, the focus will move to site rehabilitation phase. We will continue to manage water safely at our generating stations and control structures, in accordance with the Mattagami River Water Management Plan.”
The project directly supports OPG’s Climate Change Plan by fortifying and adapting the company’s infrastructure to be more resilient against climate-related impacts.
![The Little Long Dam Safety project improves dam safety on the Mattagami River in the event of extreme flood events.](https://www.opg.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/2023-11-21-49-395x230.jpg)
At the same time, the project is also supporting OPG’s Reconciliation Action Plan, with more than $60 million in contracts awarded to Indigenous vendors. OPG continues to engage with local Indigenous communities on project updates and employment opportunities.
In 2015, OPG’s Lower Mattagami hydro complex was redeveloped in partnership with Moose Cree First Nation. The $2.6-billion project – the largest hydro build in the north in more than 50 years – involved adding a third generating unit to the Little Long, Harmon, and Kipling stations, and completely redeveloping Smoky Falls GS. In all, the project added about 450 megawatts of new clean generating capacity for Ontario.
The Little Long Dam Safety project, along with the similar Smoky Falls Dam Safety project underway at Smoky Falls GS, will help support this important hydro complex for decades to come.
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