Niagara Falls

The Niagara Falls are amazing waterfalls located on the Niagara River, between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York

The waterfalls are distinguished not so much with height but more by their width. They are the most powerful waterfalls in North America, serving as a highly esteemed source of hydroelectric power.

It’s not quite sure how the waterfalls have received their present name. The Iroquoian scholar Bruce Trigger claims that the name “Niagara” was borrowed from the name of a group of local residents known as the “Niagagarega”.

It is supposed that the very first people who observed and gave a detailed description of the waterfalls were Samuel de Champlain, Pehr Kalm, Paul Ragueneau, Louis Hennepin and Jean de Brébeuf.

After the American Civil War, the Niagara Falls were described by the New York Central as a lovely place for pleasure and honeymoon visits.

In 1897, the first steel archway bridge called Whirlpool Rapids Bridge was established near the waterfalls.

After the First World War the access to the Niagara Falls became possible for automobiles.
The Niagara Falls was formed by the Wisconsin Glaciation about 10,000 years ago. Similarly, the North American Great Lakes and the Niagara River were created.

Due to the process of erosion the original Niagara Falls shifted about 6.8 miles southward instead of being closer to the sites of present-day Queenston, Ontario and Lewiston, New York.

The Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls are the two divisions of the Niagara Falls.
The width of the Horseshoe Falls is about 2,600 feet and the height is approximately 173 feet.
The width of the American Falls is 1,060 feet while the height varies between 70-100 feet.

During the peak flow season, the quantity of the water is usually about 202,000 cubic feet per second. It reaches 100,000 cubic feet per second during the summer months but in the winter the amount of water reduces to about 50,000 cubic feet per second.

The various indicators of the power of water are managed by the International Niagara Board of Control.