Smit Field
Smit Field is a private air field that was owned by Bert Smit – he died after pieces of one wing detached from his Jodel F-11 aircraft, leading to plane crash in the Forbidden Plateau area. Smit had built his wood and fabric aircraft from kit, and had flown it for about 8 months before the crash.
and now you know…
Puntledge River diversion dam – linked to larger version
Located about 3.7 kilometres downstream of the Comox Lake Impoundment Dam, the Diversion Dam is where water is diverted from the Puntledge river into a pipeline that travels five kilometres to the BC Hydro’s Puntledge Generating Station and back into the river.
That same water also goes to the Puntledge Hatchery, and the water supply system for Courtenay and Comox.
But how does it work?
The Diversion Dam is a 30.5 long concrete buttressed structure with a crest elevation of 133.2 m, connected to the 20-ha Puntledge Head Pond. Outflow from the Head Pond to the penstock is controlled by two 5.23 m wide x 4.14 m high sluice gates. The sill elevation of the sluice gates is 125.12 m. The overflow spillway from the Head Pond is a three-section compound weir at 130.2 m (76.2 m long), 130.29 m (9.1 m long) and 130.38 m (30.5 m long) elevations. The normal operating water level of the Head Pond varies between 129.9 m and 130.2 m.
Source BC Hydro
In simpler terms, the diversion dam diverts the Puntledge toward the intakes for the penstock pipeline.
Water that is not sent down the penstock pipeline flows over the top of the spillway (and the diversion dam during floods) and downstream in the Puntledge.
Salmon are screened out and then safely deposited back in the Puntledge, downstream of the dam and penstock inlet system.
and now you know
Princess Colleen at French Creek
Sandra M at French Creek
Æ Viking and Corey-J at French Creek
A rather whimsical and artistic house at French Creek – it’s seen better days and would appear to be abandoned, or perhaps no longer wanted and neglected and waiting for the right price to sell it…
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A once loved wooden boat sitting high and dry at French Creek – it’s beautiful, yet so sad…
Runway 13/39 at the Courtenay Air Park – the camera makes the 1800 foot runway look much shorter…
Looking across the Courtenay River to the Fields Sawmill site – the mill ceased operations in 2005 and was demolished, except for the office and wharf that still stand as a reminder of what was
