Regulated by the forces of nature, the Niagara River has developed its own unique personality.
It was born during the glacial age, at a time when massive sheets of ice receded, carving
five large basins known as the Great Lakes.
Much of the world's fresh water supply drains from the upper Great Lakes into Lake Ontario
to give the Niagara River precious life.
It is here at the outlet of Lake Erie that the Niagara begins its spectacular 33-mile
journey to Lake Ontario.
Before reaching the river, the water moves slowly, descending a mere 30 feet in elevation
during its long trek down through the upper lakes.
Now, here in the Niagara River, it is already moving 10 miles per hour and will eventually
drop 326 feet before entering Lake Ontario.
Fifteen miles downriver from Lake Erie, the water divides and passes Grand Island, a seven-mile
landmass.
On the downstream side of the island, the channels join to form a two-mile span in the
river, where over 200,000 cubic feet of water flow past per second.
At least half this water is diverted into the hydropower gates.
The remaining water takes on a new mood, quickening and forcibly tumbling.
As the channel narrows, there is a sense of urgency.
White water flashes in and out of the swift current.
Rocks and other obstacles attempt to change its path.
On the Canadian side, some of the water escapes into a small and peaceful water park called
Dufferin Islands.
It is the last refuge, a calm before the storm.
By sheer gravity, the water is drawn back to the river to continue its dramatic and
exciting run.
For one mile, the bedrock declines 55 feet to create a violent and confusing 25-mile
per hour deluge.
On the American side, the water smashes head-on into Goat Island.
The 70-acre island divides just as the river begins its sensational decline.
The brink of water is heard.
Nearly 90% of the river is deflected into the Canadian Channel, where it thrashes in
and around the tiny Three Sisters Islands.
After four consecutive years the river runs again.
There is no turning back.
A craft's only hope, like this old barge, is to scuttle on the rocks.
The combined water of the Great Lakes have finally arrived at the most grand and majestic
display, a plunge over the 167-foot Canadian Falls.
Shaped like a horseshoe, the crest line curves 2,500 feet between Goat Island and Canada.
Imagine 100,000 cubic feet of water per second pounding over the brink into a deep 150-foot
pool below.
The hydropower intakes upriver have a tremendous influence on the appearance of the falls and
can change its height up to 10 feet depending on the volume of water siphoned off the upper
river.
Before the hydrogates were installed, the falls would erode 3 to 6 feet per year.
Now in its present flow, the erosion is only about 2 feet.
It is estimated that it would take 47,000 years to reach the source of the river at
Buffalo, New York.
The softer shale erodes under the harder dola stone cap and creates some fascinating caves
and ledge structures.
One such ledge at Terrapin Point had become a hazard for tourists viewing the falls.
As a safety precaution, the protrusion was blasted into the gorge.
2,500 feet below the surface of the water, it is estimated that it would take 47,000
years to reach the source of the river at Buffalo, New York.
2,500 feet below the surface of the water, it is estimated that it would take 47,000
years to reach the source of the river at Buffalo, New York.
The American branch of the falls has its own spectacular beauty.
Its narrow width and rock formations throw the water into a frenzy before cascading over
the brink.
The American falls, on an average, is 10 feet higher than the horseshoe and differs at the
base.
There is a concern that as the eroding rocks continue to build up at the base, the falls
The American falls, on an average, is 10 feet higher than the horseshoe and differs at
the base.
There is a concern that as the eroding rocks continue to build up at the base, the falls
The American falls, on an average, is 10 feet higher than the horseshoe and differs at
the base.
There is a concern that as the eroding rocks continue to build up at the base, the falls
The American falls, on an average, is 10 feet higher than the horseshoe and differs at
the base.
There is a concern that as the eroding rocks continue to build up at the base, the falls
The American falls, on an average, is 10 feet higher than the horseshoe and differs at the
The
falls are approximately seven miles upriver from their origin.
Parts of their prior existence is clearly sculptured into the structure of sheer rocky
cliffs that drop 200 feet to the water and wind endlessly downstream.
Its personality is etched in stone and its moods sometime run deep beneath the calm surface.
Downriver a mile below the falls, the water depth reaches 215 feet.
It is also here that the walls of the gorge begin to narrow and the pressure reveals a
new emotion in the river.
The water is moving at 27 miles per hour and sometimes leaps 30 feet into the air.
This is one of the most spectacular and treacherous runs of white water in the world.
The
water descends 50 feet as it swoops into a large opening in the gorge called the Whirlpool.
Deep pockets of water swirl above the 126 foot depth.
Depressions at the center of the Whirlpool become more pronounced when the flow in the
river is increased.
The openings deepen and draw objects to their center, sometimes holding them for days until
the current decreases.
One mile below the Whirlpool is another stretch of rapids leading to Devil's Hole, a seemingly
inappropriate name for such a peaceful and beautiful area.
The name actually refers to the indented wall of the gorge where an earlier waterfall once
cascaded its banks.
It was rumored that the Indians believed the area was the dwelling place for evil spirits.
Today it is possible to walk down into this area and enjoy the solitude and scenic beauty.
Directly around the bend from Devil's Hole is a massive concrete structure built into
the eastern bank of the river.
This is only the face of a huge project that diverts water through giant conduits from
the upper river around the falls and into the reservoir.
Lands housed in the concrete structure produce clean and valuable electricity for large portions
of the country.
The lower river reaches depths of 100 feet and is more gentle as it enters another point
of geological significance.
Here the land breaks from the narrow canyon walls and gives way to open, fertile land
leading to Lake Ontario.
An escarpment marks the location of where the mighty cataracts once cascaded into the
lake 12,300 years ago.
Nearing the outlet, Niagara's water will eventually merge with Lake Ontario and flow
out the St. Lawrence River to join the oceans of the world.
In another time it will return giving new life to the river.
This is nature's eternal cycle, the changing of the seasons, a never ending display of
natural beauty in transition.
This is nature's eternal cycle, the changing of the seasons, a never ending display of
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