It was renamed after the former president Néstor Kirchner, born in Santa Cruz.

A consortium led by China's Gezhouba Group was awarded the contract to build the Néstor Kirchner Dam and Jorge Cepernic Dam downstream in August 2013.

[1] The dam is being built by Eling Ingeniería, the successor of Electroingeniería of Osvaldo Acosta and Gerardo Ferreyra.

[3] In July 2015 machines arrived in Santa Cruz for the construction of the dams.

[4] In December 2016 Supreme Court of Argentina decided to suspend work on the dam.