The success of the Erie Canal drove demand for larger vessels to transport more goods, leading New York to build a Barge Canal along the Mohawk River. Lock 7 was constructed here from 1907-1914, and a fixed dam was added to raise the water level and canalize the river. The dam, together with the river's elevation drop between Rexford and Waterford, also created ideal conditions for generating hydroelectric power. With a lift of 28 feet, Lock 7 is a direct current lock powered by the Vischer Ferry Power Plant on the opposite side of the river. Before that plant was added in 1925, Lock 7 generated hydropower with its own two vertical turbine generators. Today the plant includes four turbines operated by the New York Power Authority and generates about 12 megawatts, enough energy to power about 10,000 homes.
