The St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt Power Project

The massive dam across the St. Lawrence River on Barnhart Island in Massena, NY, was NYPA’s first active power plant, opening in 1958. More than half a mile long, the dam and related structures are a cooperative project between the U.S. and Canada: each country operates half of the plant’s 32 turbines. NYPA’s 16 generating units produce 820,800 kilowatts of electricity, more than enough to light a city the size of Washington, DC. The project also includes two control dams upstream, the Iroquois and Long Sault dams. Altogether it spans 37 miles, allowing for a vast stretch of state parks and recreational opportunities.