The Niagara Falls

1.Preamble

Niagara Falls is the name for three waterfalls that are placed on the international border between Canada and the United States, more specifically, between the province of Ontario and the state of New York. They form the southern end of the Niagara Gorge.

From largest to smallest, the three waterfalls are the Horseshoe Falls, the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls. The Horseshoe Falls lie mostly on the Canadian side and the American Falls are entirely on the American side. They are separated by Goat Island. The smaller Bridal Veil Falls also lie on the American side, separated from the other waterfalls by Luna Island. The international boundary line was originally drawn through Horseshoe Falls in 1819, but the boundary has long been in dispute due to natural erosion and construction.

Waterfalls are located on the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, the combined falls form the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world, with a vertical drop of more than 50 m. Horseshoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America, measured by vertical height and also by flow rate. The falls are located 27 km north-northwest of Buffalo, New York and 121 km south-       southeast of Toronto, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.

Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice age), and water from the newly formed Great Lakes carved a path through the Niagara Escarpment to the Atlantic Ocean. While not exceptionally high, the Niagara Falls are very wide. More than 168,000 m3 of water falls over the crest line every minute in high flow, and almost 110,000 m3 on average.

The Niagara Falls are famed both for their beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Managing the balance between recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 19th century.

2. Traits

The Horseshoe Falls drop about 53 m, while the height of the American Falls varies between 21–30 m because of the presence of giant boulders at its base. The larger Horseshoe Falls are about 790 m wide, while the American Falls are 320 m wide. The distance between the American extremity of the Niagara Falls and the Canadian extremity is 1,039 m.

The volume of water approaching the falls may sometimes be as much as 6,400 m3 per second. The average annual flow rate is 2,400 m3. During the summer months, at least 2,800 m3 per second of water traverses the falls, some 90% of which goes over the Horseshoe Falls, while the balance is diverted to hydroelectric facilities. This is accomplished by employing a weir with movable gates upstream from the Horseshoe Falls. The falls flow is further halved at night, and during the low tourist season in the winter, remains a minimum of 1,400 m3 per second. Water diversion is regulated by the 1950 Niagara Treaty and is administered by the International Niagara Board of Control (IJC).