Keenleyside Dam is 853.4 m (2,800 ft) long - partially earth fill and partially concrete. Primarily to serve the lumber and pulp mill just downstream, a lock was included in the dam, enabling the passage of logs being floated downstream to the mill. The lock is also available for private boaters to use, allowing recreational access to the 232 km (145 mi) of lake upstream. Use is free, but lumber mill traffic has priority.
The dam was built as a part of Canada's obligation to The
Columbia River Treaty. Its central purpose is twofold - storing water for hydroelectric production downstream and flood control for BC, Washington and Oregon. Added benefits of its presence are the creation of a 145 mile long lake for fishing and recreation and power production. The Keenleyside Dam controls a drainage area of 3,650,000 ha (14,100 square miles).
The Arrow Lakes Generating Station was added later, with construction beginning in 1999, after three years of planning, community consultation, environmental studies and reviews. Completion and startup occurred in 2002. This was the first joint project between Columbia Power Corp. and Columbia Basin Trust, costs and revenue being shared equally. It is fed by a separate intake channel 1500 metres long and 37 metres deep.
The powerhouse is 18 storeys tall with 14 storeys underground. Inside are two "fish friendly" Kaplan Turbines capable of producing a total of 185 megawatts of electricity. Each turbine runner is 8.1 metres in diameter and weighs 598 metric tonnes. The station is capable of supplying all the electrical needs of all the homes and small businesses in the West Kootenay. It is connected to the BC Hydro grid via a 48 km. long transmission line.
Keenleyside Dam was named in honour of Hugh Llewellyn Keenleyside, who was the Canadian ambassador to Mexico from 1944 to 1947. He also served as chairman of the British Columbia Power Commission and co-chairman of the British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority from 1962 to 1969.
![]()