It was situated south of Glanum, in a gorge that cut into the hills of the Alpilles in the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis.

[1] The remains of the dam were destroyed during the construction of a modern replacement in 1891, which now facilitates the supply of water to Saint-Rémy-de-Provence in the Bouches-du-Rhône region of France.

[2][4] The cut stone blocks were held together by crampons and finished with Cordon joints designed to protect against water entry.

The dam collected water that was fed into an aqueduct that in turn supplied the Roman town of Glanum.

[2][4] The dam's reservoir is called in French the Lac de Peirou and is accessible via the Chemin du Barrage.