—————— nena a, Snare River Snare River, draining an area of 6,200 square miles, flows from the north into an extension of the north arm of Great Slave Lake, known as Slemon Lake. The drainage is typical of the Canadian Shield. The topography is uneven, lakes and rock outcrops are numerous, and the course of the river is broken with numerous rapids and falls. The lower 30 miles of the river from Big Spruce Lake to the mouth are of particular interest from the power standpoint. In this reach, there is a total descent of 178 feet in a series of rapids. Water Supply.—Owing to the occurrence of innumer- able lakes in the watershed, there is substantial natural regulation of the flow of the Snare River and there are numerous opportunities for artificial regulation. Low water is experienced in the winter and high water in the summer months. Records of discharge have been secured since October, 1944, and a study of these in conjunction with records secured on the Yellowknife and other rivers of the region indicates the possibility of securing a regulated flow in the lower river below Big Spruce Lake of 1,100 c.f.s. If the adjacent Emile River were diverted into the Snare, the dependable flow of the Snare could probably be increased to 1,300 c.f.s. Power Resources.—A_ three-stage scheme has been evolved to develop the total fall between Big Spruce Lake and Slemon Lake. The first stage, now in course of con struction by the Department of Mines and Resources as a Government enterprise, involves the construction of a dam across the Snare River below Big Spruce Lake which will raise the lake some 50 feet and provide an average operating head of 56 feet. The installation will consist of a single unit of 8,000 horse-power capacity, and power will be transmitted 94 miles to Yellowknife for the supply of mines and the townsite. Completion of the plant is expected in the latter part of 1948. The second stage of development envisages: the con- struction of the necessary canals, tunnels, and containing dams to divert the Snare southeasterly from an arm of Big Spruce Lake to a power-house location on “I” Lake, where an installation of 20,000 horse-power is proposed under a head of about 120 feet, with the 8,000 horse-power at Snare River used as a standby. The third stage involves the development of 10,000 horse-power in a power-house located on Slemon Lake drawing water from “I” Lake under a head of about 70 feet. ; Before the second stage is undertaken, it is expected that full regulation of flow will have been achieved by the provision of storage on upper lakes, and that the flow of the Emile River will also have been diverted into the Snare. With a dependable flow of 13,000 c.f.s., the complete development of the lower Snare should provide 22,500 horse-power of continuous power, and warrant an installed capacity of 30,000 horse-power. { 80 } There are rapids and falls on the upper reaches of the Snare River, but information is lacking in regard to heads, with the exception of one site below Indin Lake, where a head of about 35 feet and a continuous power capacity with regulated flow of about 3,200 horse-power are indicated. Power Markets.—A market exists for additional power supplies in the mines adjacent to Yellowknife and also in the expanding townsite. Potential markets are indicated in other parts of the region where mining explorations are under way. Yellowknife River Yellowknife River, draining an area of some 6,300 square miles, flows into Yellowknife Bay of Great Slave Lake from the north. The drainage is typical of the Canadian Shield as already described. The principal tributary is the Cameron River, which joins the Yellowknife near its mouth in Prosperous Lake. Upstream from Prosperous Lake, the Yellowknife is broken into a number of branches. Numerous rapids and falls occur along the main river and its various tributaries. Water Supply.— Owing to the large proportion of the drainage being comprised in lake areas, there is substantial natural regulation of the flow of the Yellowknife River. Numerous opportunities exist for artificial regulation. Low water is experienced in the winter and high water in the summer months. Records of flow of the Yellowknife near its mouth are available almost continuously since July, 1937. Based on these records, the run-off tributary to the main river above Prosperous Lake has been deduced as 0-10 c.f.s. per square mile for ordinary minimum flow and 0-15 c.f.s. per square mile for ordinary six months flow. Fragmentary records on the Cameron River indicate rates of run-off considerably less than on the main Yellowknife. Power Resources.—A_ reconnaissance investigation of the power possibilities of the lower Yellowknife and its tributary, the Cameron River, was made by an engineer of the Dominion Water and Power Bureau in 1937. Sub- sequently, the most favourable site indicated by this investi- gation was developed by Consolidated Mining & Smelting Company of Canada, Limited, and was brought into opera- tion in 1941 to serve the needs of the company’s own mine and other operating mines in the area. The townsite of Yellowknife is also served from this source. The plant, situated at the outlet of Bluefish Lake, operates under a head of 110 feet and has an installed capacity of 4,700 horse-power. Two other sites on the Yellowknife offer possibilities for relatively small developments. One is situated about 13 miles and the other about 23 miles above Prosperous Lake. By the construction of dams, heads of some 50 feet and 90 feet could possibly be secured at these sites respec- tively. The lower site has an estimated capacity of 1,400 horse-power at ordinary minimum flow or 2,100 horse