Muskrat Falls and Gull Island

On the Churchill River. — Photo by Ashley Fitzpatrick/The Telegram 1 width:500px;height:280px Muskrat Falls, site of Nalcor Energy’s proposed hydro dam build, as seen looking upstream, in the direction of Churchill Falls. — Photo by Ashley Fitzpatrick/The Telegram 2 width:500px;height:280px  Muskrat Falls. Water in the Churchill River runs over Churchill Falls, through the Gull Island area and to Muskrat Falls, before heading towards Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Nalcor Energy says operations at the proposed Muskrat Falls hydro dam will be co-ordinated with operations at the existing Churchill Falls generating station. — Photo by Ashley Fitzpatrick/The Telegram 3 width:500px;height:280px The upper and lower falls of Muskrat Falls. — Photo by Ashley Fitzpatrick/The Telegram

4 width:500px;height:280px Muskrat Falls looking South, from the upper falls (bottom of photo) to the lower falls (at top). — Photo by Ashley Fitzpatrick/The Telegram 5 width:500px;height:280px

Sandy indents are seen along the sides of the Churchill River. The topography of the riverside is fairly flat towards Happy Valley-Goose Bay, but becomes raised and more rough as you make your way towards Churchill Falls. Nalcor Energy staff working on the proposed Lower Churchill project have taken the sands of the river into account in their development of the Muskrat Falls hydro dam plans. — Photo by Ashley Fitzpatrick/The Telegram 6 width:500px;height:280px Crews clear land, create roads, communications and power connections to the Muskrat falls construction site. While the project has not yet been sanctioned, the work is being considered by Nalcor Energy as a prudent expense, considering the costs associated with waiting until project sanction for such work. Similar work was done when a hydro project was proposed for Gull Island in the 1970s. — Photo by Ashley Fitzpatrick/The Telegram 7 width:500px;height:280px Photo by Ashley Fitzpatrick/The Telegram

8 width:500px;height:280px Photo by Ashley Fitzpatrick/The Telegram 9 width:500px;height:280px Prep work for Muskrat Falls has made headway since the start of the summer, cutting a new route through the Labrador wilderness. The area seen here is on the shore opposite the existing road between Churchill Falls and Happy Valley-Goose Bay.— Photo by Ashley Fitzpatrick/The Telegram 10 width:500px;height:280px

Work this summer is costing in the “tens of millions,” according to Nalcor Energy’s Lower Churchill project leader Gilbert Bennett. That said, the work is being considered a reasonable risk by the Crown corporation, considering costs associated with any delay in the start of dam site work, should the project proceed. — Photo by Ashley Fitzpatrick/The Telegram 11 width:500px;height:280px The clearing made for the Gull Island construction camp decades ago. That project was ultimately not sanctioned. However, it is being re-evaluated by Nalcor Energy, considering present market conditions and an interconnection with the mainland that would allow for power exports, assuming the Muskrat Falls and associated transmission developments proceed. — Photo by Ashley Fitzpatrick/The Telegram

12 width:500px;height:280px While it is being touted as a megaproject on the horizon with great potential for the province, the Gull Island hydro site, seen here, does not have a “falls” per se. The spit of land jutting into he river from the left bank is where a dam was proposed for construction decades ago. While that project was not sanctioned at the time, it is now being re-investigated, as a potential follow-up to the Muskrat Falls development, should that project be given a final go-ahead.  — Photo by Ashley Fitzpatrick/The Telegram 13 width:500px;height:280px