The Chena River Lakes Flood Control Project dam is about up the Chena River from Fairbanks. The dam was built in response to the 1967 Fairbanks flood, which inundated much of the city. When closed, the dam impounds water and, when the inflow is high enough, diverts it about to the Tanana River near North Pole, upstream of Fairbanks and the natural mouth of the Chena.
