 The dam is operated jointly by the Administration of Roads and Bridges and the Syndicate des Eaux du Barrage d'Esch-sur-Sûre (SEBES) while the power station is operated by Société Electrique de l'Our (SEO).It was first conceived in the 1950s to help replace nature groundwater resources for the town of Esch-sur-Sûre.Using an André Coyne design, the dam was constructed between 1956 and 1957 and the power station was commissioned in 1963.