In the mid 1910s one of the first hydroelectric infrastructures in Galicia was built here. It is a canal that flows along the west bank of the river Mao, from the small reservoir by Puente de Conceliñas, in Horcas, to the area around the mouth of the river, in Barxacova.
It is a canal one metre in width with walls made of stone. It flows along the steep slopes and goes through the prominent rocks it finds along its route. In the middle of the century it underwent some alterations that added a concrete covering to prevent leaks that abundantly irrigated the land below. Flyovers were built to allow animals to cross from one side to the other, saving the lives of many of them.
A new canal discharging directly into the river Sil was built in the 1980s, while the old canal, as well as the old power station -called the Light Factory (Fábrica de la Luz), were left as abandoned. Nowadays they are used as a trekking route and a hostel.
The building of the canal, which generated much employment among the local people, also lead to the discovery of important archaeological settlements, such as Espada de la Horca in the cave Cueva de los Moros, known since then as Piedra de la Espada and the necropolis cave San Vitor de Barxacova.