Box Canyon: Pend Oreille River, WA

The Box Canyon Hydroelectric Project, completed in 1956, is located on the scenic Pend Oreille River, ninety miles north of Spokane, Washington. Pend Oreille PUD was the first PUD in the nation to build a hydro-project.

The Box Canyon Dam is a run-of-the-river project that was built near the exit of a narrow channel commonly referred as Box Canyon. The powerhouse has four Kaplan type turbines and Umbrella type generator. The project is designed with space for a fifth unit.

The Pend Oreille River is one of the few major rivers in the U.S. that flow North. It contributes about one-third of the natural flows to the Columbia River system.