The Columbia River is the fourth largest in North America. It drains an area of 670,520 km² of which 102,260 km² are in Canada. The Columbia River Valley is typical of British Columbian valleys formed by glacial advances and retreats.

The 1964 Columbia River Treaty (the “Treaty”) between Canada and the United States of America was an agreement regarding joint development of the Columbia River System. The treaty precipitated the construction of a dam near the downstream end of Lower Arrow Lake in south-eastern British Columbia. Arrow Dam raised the level of two natural lakes to form Arrow Lakes Reservoir and was subsequently renamed Keenleyside Dam.

Keenleyside Dam is comprised a combination of concrete gravity and earthfill structures. Discharge is facilitated through four spillway bays controlled by vertical lift gates and four low level outlets located on each side of the spillway.