ðə fˈɜːst dˈæm wʌz kəmplˈiːɾᵻd baɪ ɡɹˈeɪt wˈɛstɚn pˈaʊɚɹ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹtiːn æz pˈɑːɹt ʌvðɪ ˌʌpɚ nˈɔːɹθ fˈɔːɹk fˈɛðɚ ɹˈɪvɚ pɹˈɑːdʒɛkt, dˈæmɪŋ ðə nˈɔːɹθ fˈɔːɹk ʌvðə fˈɛðɚ ɹˈɪvɚ ænd flˈʌdɪŋ ðə mˈɛdoʊfˈɪld vˈæli dʒˈɛnɚɹəli nˈoʊn æz nˈækæm kˈɔɪoʊ slˈæʃ bˈɪɡ mˈɛdoʊz slˈæʃ bˈɪɡ spɹˈɪŋz, ɐ lˈɔŋstændɪŋ jæmˈɑːni mˈeɪduː vˈɪlɪdʒ sˈaɪt.
The first dam was completed by Great Western Power in 1914 as part of the Upper North Fork Feather River Project, damming the North Fork of the Feather River and flooding the meadow-filled valley generally known as Nakam Koyo/Big Meadows/Big Springs, a longstanding Yamani Maidu village site.