It was completed in 1920 and currently provides hydroelectricity to the nearby city of Ann Arbor, which owns and maintains the dam and power station.

[1] The reservoir and the downstream portion of the dam are open to the public, but there are no developed pathways or roads leading to the river at this point.

Soon after, the city entered into a 50-year contract to sell the energy back to the Detroit Edison Company to supply electricity for Ann Arbor's power grid.

[2] In a report published by the Huron River Watershed Council in 2019, they noted that the dam "does not generate enough electricity to cover its own annual maintenance and operating costs."

Studies are being conducted on the feasibility of removing the dam—a fate that has already been determined for the decommissioned Peninsular Paper Dam 1.5 miles (2.4 km) downstream.

It is a located along the Huron River Water Trail, mapped by the Huron–Clinton Metroparks system to provide information for canoes and kayaks.

The rowing conditions along the river at this point are not good enough to draw in large numbers of boaters, especially with very low bridge clearances and a lack of public amenities.

[11] The Huron River is occasionally issued a "do not eat" fish advisory by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services when the waters accumulate high levels of cyanobacteria and perfluorooctanesulfonatecan (PFOS).

[12] When the advisory is in place, fishermen are advised to catch and release only, and warning signs are posted at river access points.