Smallwood Reservoir

Smallwood Reservoir, a vast man-made lake in western Labrador created for the Churchill Falls Generating Station, is the largest body of freshwater in the province and among the world’s largest reservoirs by surface area. Named for Joey Smallwood, it flooded a saucer-shaped plateau once filled with bogs and interconnected lakes that drained toward the Churchill River and Churchill Falls. The area’s hydroelectric promise was recognized in 1942, but its remoteness delayed development until long-distance transmission improved. Built as part of the wider project from 1966 to 1974, the reservoir is unusually contained by 88 dikes and managed through three control structures.

Newfoundland and Labrador · Canada