In Elmore County northeast of Mountain Home, it is several miles north of U.S. Route 20 and operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

When completed 75 years ago in 1950, Anderson Ranch was the tallest dam of its type in the world.

The construction of the dam began in 1941 and experienced numerous challenges with materials, fuel, and labor shortages during World War II.

The Reclamation Act of 1902 had racial exclusions on labor which were strictly adhered to until Congress changed the law in 1943.

The Bureau of Reclamation and Idaho Water Resource Board are working on raising the dam by six feet (1.8 m), resulting in approximately 29,000 acre-feet (35,800,000 m3) of new storage space.