Keechelus Dam

About Keechelus Dam

The primary purpose of Keechelus Dam is flood risk reduction. The dam is designed to control downstream flooding by temporarily storing excess water during storms and releasing it at a controlled rate. The dam is owned by Bureau Of Reclamation (federal). It impounds the Yakima River near Easton.

The dam stands 128 feet tall and stretches 6,550 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 2,562 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 158,000 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 54 square miles. Completed in 1917, the structure is over a century old.

This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 06/02/2022.

At 128 feet, this dam is taller than 98% of all dams in the United States.

Living Downstream

If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Washington dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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