The structure was constructed in 1992 to block a water body that runs dry most of the year.
[1] The watershed above the dam is approximately 18 square miles (47 km2) comprising a semi-arid region of the Horse Heaven Hills.
[3] Despite the low precipitation in the area, summertime thunderstorms can stall in the hills and send a flash flood down the canyon.
Small floods from these events have filled Kennewick's Rainier Street seven times before construction of the dam.
[4] A project that was underway to improve Kennewick's water supply in 2014 caused erosion on public land near the Washington State Patrol office near the dam.