FAQ

Q: Where is the St. George Hydroelectric Dam located?

A: The dam is located at the mouth of the Magaguadavic River in St. George, New Brunswick where the river empties into Passamaquoddy Bay (an inlet of the Bay of Fundy).

Q: Who owns the St. George Hydroelectric Dam?

A: The dam is owned and operated by J.D. Irving, Limited. 

Q: How large is the Hydroelectric Facility?

A: The St. George Hydroelectric Facility is a small scale ‘run of the river’ operation with a current annual generation of approximately 45,000 MWHr. This facility is green certified under Environment Canada’s Terra Choice.

Q: How is power generated at the dam? 

A: In 2004 the dam was completely repowered and equipped with two 7.5 MW horizontal Kaplan turbines with a total combined capacity of 15 MW. The turbines capture potential energy in the water as it moves down into the gorge and convert it into electrical energy.

Q: What fish species migrate past the dam?

A: All diadromous fish (migrate between salt and fresh water as part of their lifecycle), will pass the hydroelectric dam during migration. Three species known to migrate past the dam are Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and American eel (Anguilla rostrata).

Q: How is the dam operation controlled?

A: There are two full-time operators that oversee the operation 24 hrs per day, 7 days per week. At times when operators are not on site, they have the ability to oversee the operation remotely.