Como Dam was originally constructed by local farmers around 1910, to impound a natural lake for irrigation storage; the United States Bureau of Reclamation enhanced and stabilized that structure in 1954, in 1976, and in 1992-1993.

As part of the larger Bitter Root Project, the dam and reservoir are both owned by the local Bitter Root Project Irrigation District.

[2] The reservoir it creates, Lake Como, has a water surface of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km2) and normal storage of 38,495 acre-feet (47,483,000 m3).

The site is surrounded by the Bitterroot National Forest.

[3] Concerns that the lack of an Early Warning System on the dam could lead to catastrophic loss of life in the Bitterroot Valley in the event of nighttime inundation led officials to take measures to ensure the safety of the dam in 2017.