I was hiking around trying to find the trails to Browns River Falls when I came across this section of pipeline running roughly between the Browns and Puntledge Rivers. Being an inquisitive type, I did some searching on the Internet and found a reference to a dam being removed from the Browns River in 1989, and a fish way bypassing Browns River Falls being constructed in 2000.
Long time local resident Wes White was a lot more helpful than Google:
It was the City of Courtenay water supply system, I think it was installed in 1919 (or 1912) can’t remember exactly. The infrastructure was sold to the Regional District around 1967. The last time it was used was 1978 and I had the satisfaction of turning it off for good. The water was mud in winter and hard to find in summer, much the same as the Browns is today. Also had the dam blown up and trucked away.The removal was a requirement of the BC Government. The right-of-way 79RW (and 12″ concrete pipe) comes out at the corner of Powerhouse and Rachel roads.
Above, the starting point above Forbidden Plateau Road, and below, the end point of the water pipe line on Powerhouse Road
Above, the approximate route of the water pipeline shown in orange.
More research and work on the ground is needed…
Hello
We were looking for where you took the above pic of the pipeline but had no success. We did go to the Browns river today and found the intake and the old dam just above the bridge on Duncan Main.