At full capacity, the structure holds about 11.1 cubic kilometres (2.7 cu mi) of water and provides electricity to the 1.7 million residents of Mosul.

It is the fourth largest dam in the Middle East, as measured by reserve capacity, capturing snowmelt from Turkey, some 70 miles (110 km) north.

[5] Built in the 1980s on a karst foundation, concerns over the dam's instability have led to major remediation and rehabilitation efforts since the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.

The Mosul Dam is a 113 m (371 ft) tall and 3.4 km (2.1 mi) long earth-fill embankment type with a clay core.

[2] To ensure as many of the archeological sites were inspected before being submerged under the lake that would form behind the dam, the Iraqi government invited several foreign delegations to participate.

[7] In 1985, one of their sites, Tell Deir Situn garnered an Assyrian fibula, some Hellenic oil lamps, and a Seleucid coin of Alexander Balas.

[9][10] Development of Iraq's rivers progressed rapidly in the mid-20th century as Saddam Hussain sought to control water resources for agriculture and to prevent flooding in Baghdad.

Planning for the Mosul Dam began in the 1950s with the help of Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners, a British firm who identified a location in 1953.

Based on the findings of all five companies which cited complex foundations, Iraq had a French firm, Soletanch, to carry out in-depth geological studies which occurred between 1974 and 1978.

Construction was complete in 1984 and in the spring of 1985, the Mosul Dam began to inundate the Tigris River, filling the reservoir which submerged many archaeological sites in the region.

[13][14] In early April 2003, following the invasion of Iraq by a US-led coalition, military intelligence had developed several scenarios, including one in which Iraqi forces would have wired the dam for detonation.

[citation needed] For several weeks in July and August 2014, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS or ISIL) held Mosul Dam.

ISIS's control of the dam created fears that its power supply could be restricted or that its water flows to downstream areas would be greatly inhibited.

[16][17] On August 17, 2014, the Peshmerga and the Iraqi Army launched a successful operation to retake control of the dam from ISIS militants.

[20] A report on 30 October 2007 by the US Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) said that the dam's foundations could give way at any moment.

This has been resisted by Iraqi officials, who note that the current plan for the Badush Dam is US$300 million to provide hydroelectric power and help irrigation while the proposed expansion would cost $10 billion.

[20] In 2007, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers developed and executed a US$27 million plan to help continue maintenance and repairs on the dam in the short-term.

The Iraq Government was also recommended a long-term solution that includes the construction of 67 m (220 ft) deep walls around the dam foundation.

[13] Maintenance had been deferred during the Battle for Mosul Dam due to security concerns, and many workers did not work both because of the risk of attacks by ISIS and lack of pay.

In February 2016, the Minister of Water Resources, Muhsin al-Shammari, stated "The looming danger to Mosul dam is one in a thousand.

In May 2017, Iraqi Minister of Water Resources Hassan Janabi stated that no danger to the dam remained and it was going back to normal operation.