Black Canyon Dam, located on the Payette River, adjacent to Highway 52, sports several parks that offer day-use fun and one overnight campground. Included in some of the parks are large gazebos that can be reserved for family gatherings or special events.

Reserving a gazebo is as easy as logging on to your home computer and going to www.pn.usbr.gov, once there select Black Canyon Dam and Parks. Visitors to the web site can download a reservation form and see a calendar showing availability.

The three day-use parks and one overnight campground near the dam are:

* Black Canyon Park offering two gazebos which can be reserved. * Wild Rose Park which has one gazebo. * Cobblestone Park which has an open picnic area can also be reserved. * Triangle Park offering both day-use and overnight camping, but no water or electrical supply.

The facilities are available for a reservation fee of $125.

"Only the gazebos at Black Canyon and Wild Rose parks can be rented, not the entire park," said Black Canyon Dam Facility Manager Robert Adams. "Although the picnic area at Cobblestone Park can be rented, there is no gazebo."

Further downstream is Montour Park, located in the Montour Wildlife Management Area, which has overnight camping at $5.00 a day. There are 18 spaces which are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Potable water and bathrooms are available.

For additional information, consult the Pacific Northwest Bureau of Reclamation website at www.pn.usbr.gov or call (208) 365-2682.

Black Canyon Dam is part of the Boise Project and was constructed between 1922 and 1924. It provides irrigation water to roughly 1,760 farms in Gem and Payette counties. The powerplant at the dam generates about 62 million kilowatt hours annually.