The actual dam is a curved gravity dam made of rubble stone and based on the Intze Principle. The dam was built from 1929 to 1933 in the vicinity of Lengefeld in the Ore Mountains and was taken into service in 1933. It is a large dam according to ICOLD criteria. The streams impounded are the Haselbach, Saidenbach, Lippersdorfer Bach and Hölzelbergbach.