Together with the 22,000 hectare reservoir of the Cerro de Oro, which is joined by a channel to the Miguel Alemán Lake, the combined capacity is 13,380 million cubic metres.

The basin of this river in the coastal plain was subject to frequent flooding, with the damage sometimes compounded by cyclones.

A particularly severe flood in September 1944 covered 470,000 hectares, with great loss of life and property.

[3] The dam was initiated by the government of President Miguel Alemán Valdés in 1947 and construction started in 1949.

The Temascal hydroelectric plant located east of the dam generates about 725 million kilowatts a year.