It is located in the Cascades, about 5 mi (8.0 km) west of the city of Detroit.

[7] Construction was delayed largely due to World War II.

The dam, dedicated on June 10, 1953,[8] was authorized for the purposes of flood control, power generation, navigation, and irrigation.

[1] In 2021, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined that this dam was at risk of failing in a large earthquake in the Cascadia subduction zone, which would result in a "potentially catastrophic flood", which could potentially affect Oregon's state capital, Salem, located downstream.

[9] For this reason, the level of the reservoir was lowered by five feet, to reduce the stress on the concrete structure.