BC Hydro is preparing to upgrade a small section of the John Hart Dam near the spillway gates that pass water down the Elk Falls Canyon.

The resulting work will require a full road closure for Brewster Lake Road during the approximate six week construction period originally slated for Aug. 24 – Oct. 11. The start of the work will now be delayed by one week.

The nearby detour route around the dam will be Iron River Road.

BC Hydro will be drilling a number of holes into the dam to provide for a jet grouting process to bind an area of earthfill material together. BC Hydro continually evaluates its dams against national and international best practice, and performs investigations whenever any potential concerns are raised. This work is a result of such an investigation that identified a small area within the dam that required earthquake strengthening.

Signage will be placed along the geographic area to redirect traffic, particularly tourists looking to access campground and other recreation sites within the watershed, to Iron River Road.