It was constructed for flood control, irrigation, water supply and hydroelectric power production.

The dam's spillway, in its center is controlled by six floodgates and has a discharge capacity in excess of 13,000 cubic metres per second (460,000 cu ft/s).

In addition, it has helped reduce floods in the Gharb region along the Ouergha and Sebou Rivers by 90%.

The dam's reservoir though has a high rate of siltation and it is estimated to lose 60 million cubic metres (2.1×10^9 cu ft) of storage each year.

The silt trapped in the reservoir also doesn't reach the coastal estuary which increases erosion along the coast.