Long Spruce Generating Station

Long Spruce Generating Station is located on the Nelson River approximately 745 km northeast of the City of Winnipeg, 27 km east of the Town of Gillam and 16 km downstream of Manitoba Hydro's Kettle Generating Station. The site can be accessed via air or rail to Gillam and from Gillam to Long Spruce by road, or by road from the City of Thompson.

The Long Spruce Generating Station was built between 1971 and 1979 and was Manitoba Hydro's fourth generating station built on the Nelson River. The station is situated on a stretch of the river known as the Long Spruce Rapids which is upstream of the Limestone Generating Station and downstream of the Kettle Generating Station.

The Long Spruce Generating Station consists of an intake structure, a 10-unit powerhouse with a capacity of 1,010 MW, earth main dams and dykes, and a 6-bay spillway. The generating station also provides a river crossing, allowing the Henday Converter Station to be accessed by highway.

The forebay at Long Spruce has a total area of 36 sq. km (22.5 sq. miles) and a fetch length of approximately 10 km (6 miles).

The Long Spruce Generating Station was designed and is operated as a run-of-river generating station. The outflow from the station is governed by the releases from Stephens Lake at the Kettle Generating Station.

Licences:

• Long Spruce Final Licence (1990)

Supporting Documentation:

• Long Spruce GS Renewal Licence Request (November 2022)
• Licence Implementation Guide for Water Levels, 2018