Still, at the turn of the century,
there was no clear plan in place for developing infrastructure for water power
facilities. Instead, investments were primarily limited to mill companies and local
projects on the town and city level, although not all of those who gained legislative
approval followed through and constructed hydro-energy facilities. Securing
riparian rights to properties along stretches of rivers and streams, which often
were subdivided into small lots that belonged to numerous owners, also proved
challenging and expensive