The
Capilano River flows from north to south through the
Coast Mountains on
Vancouver's
North Shore and empties into
Burrard Inlet, opposite
Stanley Park. The river is one of three primary sources of drinking water for residents of Greater
Vancouver. The
Cleveland Dam, built in 1954, impounds a reservoir for this purpose. The entire reservoir and watershed area upstream of the dam is closed to the public to ensure the quality of the drinking water. Prior to construction of the Cleveland Dam, the Capilano River deposited large amounts of sediment into Burrard Inlet. A dredge was needed to remove this sediment build-up in order to keep Burrard Inlet open for ship traffic.