Some people, including Premier Kathleen Wynne, justify their support for the proposed hydro-electric generation station at the Bala falls by noting there was previously a generating station on the Crown land south of the Bala north falls.
Yes, the Bala #2 generating station was there 42 to 90 years ago (from 1924 to 1972), but it was tiny – 16′ x 16′ (256 ft²), the size of a two-car garage. Whereas the proposed station would be over 100′ long, and have an area of over 6,361 ft² – 25 times the footprint. This is as much larger as a 5-bedroom house (1,320 ft²) is compared to a small 7′ x 7′ garden shed.
And the Bala #2 station had a capacity of 298 kW (400 hp), compared to the 4,300 kW proposed – 14 times the capacity. The flow of water out the tailrace would therefore be 10 to 12 times that of the Bala #2 station (depending on the efficiencies of the stations). This is as much faster as a tornado is to a summer breeze.
Not only does the above figure (click on it for a larger view) show how much larger the proposed generating station would be, it also shows that the flow of water out of the Bala #2 generating station was directed away from the in-water recreational area at the base of the Bala north falls. But the proposed generating station would angle this much greater flow not only towards the in-water recreational area, but also interfere with docking at the Town Docks on the Moon River and also at the three private docks which are closer than that.
Clearly, the generating station previously on the Crown land is no justification for the significantly larger station proposed, and the extreme dangers it would create.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and proponent have not had a competent authority assess the new risks that would be created, nor have the local volunteer fire department and other emergency responders been consulted to determine the resources, budget, and training which they would need.