Seepage analysis of right abutment of sugar lake dam

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BC Hydro's Sugar Lake Dam is located on the Shuswap River approximately 70 km east of Vernon, BC. The**dam provides storage and flow regulation for hydroelectricity production at the Shuswap Falls generating**station, located at the Wilsey Dam, 29 km downstream on the Shuswap River. Dam safety is a critical**component of the production of hydroelectricity. The Sugar Lake Dam experiences unexpected seasonally**fluctuating seepage through both abutments that requires a more comprehensive understanding to ensure**continued safe operation of the dam.**While seepage around and underneath dams is a normal phenomenon, operators of dams must be vigilant for**seepage conditions that can cause internal erosion in the dam abutments or the dam itself as internal erosion**leading to piping is a common failure mode for dams. Therefore, a strong understanding of the influence of the**geological and geometric conditions on the seepage conditions is needed so that unusual conditions can be**promptly identified and managed.**The proposed research aims to (1) assemble existing data on the bedrock and surficial geology and the**geometry of the dam and its foundations, (2) collect new data using a UAV and photogrammetry-based**mapping, and (3) use the data to create and calibrate a 3D numerical seepage model for BC Hydro that can**simulate transient seepage analyses.