Located in the Misraq Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region, close to the capital and largest city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, the Koka Reservoir is popular with tourists and city-dwellers.

The reservoir supports a fishing industry; according to the Ethiopian Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, 625 tonnes (615 long tons; 689 short tons) of fish are landed each year, which the department estimates is either 52% or 89% of its sustainable amount.

[1] Both the reservoir and the dam are threatened by increasing sedimentation caused by environmental degradation as well as the invasive water hyacinth.

The subcontractor who provided the equipment was Gruppo Industriale Elettro Meccaniche per Impiante all'Estero, and subcontractor for mounting the equipment and the erection of the transmission lines was Società Anonima Elettrificazione.

[2] The power plant, with 132 kV transmission lines, began full operation on 28 August 1960.