It was completed in 1997, twenty-five years after the announcement of the plan to construct it, with the following purposes; flood control, the description of specifications and purposes of dams in Japan (maintaining the current flow of the Katsura-gawa River, and protecting the natural river environment), and the supply of drinking water to Osaka City, Kyoto City, Kobe City, Nishinomiya City, and Ashiya City.
洪水調節、日本のダムダム諸元に関する表記（桂川の河川流量を維持し、河川環境を守る）、大阪市・京都市・神戸市・西宮市・芦屋市への上水道供給を目的とし、計画発表から25年後の1997年（平成9年）に完成した。