Every Lake
Black Canyon Reservoir
A 1924 Bureau of Reclamation dam narrowed the Payette River into 734 acres of canyon water.
- 12 ft · first step
- 23 ft
- 35 ft
- 46 ft
- 58 ft
- 69 ft · bottom
About Black Canyon Reservoir
Black Canyon Dam was completed in 1924 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, built to divert Payette River water into the canal system that irrigates farmland west of Boise, Idaho. The dam's powerhouse generates hydroelectricity, and the reservoir it backs up follows the river's original canyon walls rather than a broad valley. That canyon shape holds the water in a long, narrow band instead of an open basin, with the deepest sections tracking the old river channel.
The reservoir sits near Caldwell, Idaho, in farm country where irrigation canals branch out from the dam's diversion works toward orchards and row crops. Anglers fish it for smallmouth bass, catfish, and stocked trout, and boaters use it for a stretch of slow water uncommon on the faster-flowing Payette upstream and downstream. Its narrow, cliff-lined stretch draws less traffic than the larger reservoirs elsewhere in the Boise River system.
- 16 roads engraved around the shore, 1 of them labeled
- 6 depth layers, each step engraved with its depth in feet
- Compass rose, title block with coordinates, max depth and area; keyhole hanger on the back
Turn it in your hands
Live 3D of the actual cut files — drag to orbit, pinch to zoom. Every road you see is engraved on the real thing.
Viewer not showing? Open it full screen.
Black Canyon Reservoir depth chart, in wood
This is a Black Canyon Reservoir depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 12 ft, 23 ft, 35 ft, 46 ft, 58 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 69 ft. The lake covers about 1.3 square miles, and 16 shore roads are engraved around it. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Black Canyon Reservoir map for the wall — or a gift
Most of these go to a cabin wall, a lake house entry, or a home office; a lot are gifts — the family that has been on Black Canyon Reservoir for three generations, the retirement move, the first boat. The 12-inch is the desk-and-shelf size; the 24- and 30-inch boards read across a room. Add a line under the title and star your place on the shore, and it becomes the map of your Black Canyon Reservoir.
Black Canyon Reservoir map — the details
How big is the map?
Four sizes: 12, 17, 24 and 30 inches on the long side, from $149. Every size is cut from the same depth data of Black Canyon Reservoir; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Black Canyon Reservoir is cut layer by layer from published bathymetric soundings — each layer of birch is a depth contour, so the shape of the bottom is the real one, not decorative.
Can I add my own place on it?
Yes. At checkout you can add a line under the title (a family name, a cabin name, a year) and star the spot on the shore that matters to you.
How long does it take?
Made to order in Waterford, Pennsylvania and shipped in 7–10 days; shipping is free in the lower 48.
Can you make a lake that isn't listed?
Any lake in the United States — we hold depth data for 104,419 of them. Search for yours; if it isn't built yet we build it when you order.
- 6 depth layers down to 69 ft
- 1.3 square miles of water
- 16 shore roads engraved, 1 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
