the cohoes falls is 90 feet (28 m) high and 1,000 feet (305 m) wide. its flow is most impressive in springtime, sometimes running at of water per second, but as the season changes, there is less water for the falls because so much of the flow is diverted at the crescent dam to the barge canal through lock 6. most of the water is still diverted for power generation; some is diverted for the cohoes water supply. during the summer, the falls are virtually dry, revealing shale rock formations that have their own distinctive beauty. the 87-year average flow of the mohawk river at cohoes is 34,638 cubic feet per second, but this includes water diverted to the power plant and erie canal locks.