Why were people in New England able to use water power to run mills?

People in New England were able to use water power to run various mills because of the availability of woods and water. Labor was expensive in the colonies as they brought from England and Africa via crossing the Atlantic Ocean. With the introducing of the mills in New England, they replaced the human and animals. Water-powered mills eventually paved the way for showing the benefits of machinery and mechanical power. By 1700 there were about 70 water-powered mills in New England.