Niagara Falls, one of the wonders of the natural world, is nearby Buffalo New York. It is about 12,000 years old. The Niagara River flows over a steep drop off and forms the falls. This river is a spill over from the Great Lakes – Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior. This awe-inspiring natural wonder is the second largest water fall in the world; it is second only to Victoria Falls in Southern Africa. Canada and the state of New York share the falls area since it crosses the delineating line between them.
In all there are the American Falls, the Bridal Veil Falls and the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. Separating the falls is Goat Island. This beautiful natural area has long been a popular play ground for tourists. Once it was the honeymoon capital of the world. And even now to walk along its long walkway that showcases the falls, is a wonder and an awe-inspiring experience. May different languages are expressively taking in the wonders of nature and are uttering amazements.
Hydroelectric plants harness power from the falls supplying most of New York with power. On peak visiting times during the day and during the months of June, July and August, the flow of the water over the falls is about 150,000 gallons each second; during other times it is less because much of the water is now being diverted for power sources.
Height of the falls is 176 feet high. One expects a gigantic height before arriving there but the falls are wider than they are tall. While visiting there about ten years ago I admit I had expected them to be taller. That fact does not take away from their grandeur, however. The Canadian side of the falls offer a better view and there are luxurious hotels and an overall amusement atmosphere. Languages of various nations can be heard there.
The first inhabitants to the area were the Clovis people, nomadic hunters who most likely lived along the shore line of the old Lake Erie lake at about the time the ice melts were giving birth to the falls. Earlier the area had once been a huge ice bed and it was their melting that gave rise to the Great Lakes and the spill off effect created the Niagara River and the falls. The Ice moved north and then the peninsula was free of ice.
Such a large amount of water melting scooped out the Lakes with the rapid force downward and the spillover created the Niagara River and falls. It certainly didn’t happen exactly like this no matter how much one researches. None of us were around then, but geologist has since figured it all out and in a nut shell the ice melted and created the huge amount of water and the pockets of water called the lakes. The spill off created the river and the river could have nothing else to do but to fall off the rock and continue onward to the least resistance. After the Niagara Falls the river continues on for fifteen miles and spills into Lake Ontario.
Goat Island, the land separating three falls is about 500 years old. Why named Goat Island? It was named for a bunch of goats that once froze to death on the island in1780. The land that forms the area is from sediment from Lake Tonawanda that was once there. Supposedly the falls in their in their rapid thrust around and beyond and into areas left some areas as land and others as lakes and rivers. The falls, as are all water and land ways are continually changing as the force of the water carves the hard rock it rushes over and rearranges.
Up until 1912 when three deaths occurred when an iced bridge split, visitors could walk out on the frozen ice of the river. They played and tobogganed but no more, the falls are only a summer playground now. Winter visitors come there mainly for gambling, especially on the Canadian side. The falls never froze but ice would form around the edges and on the lake. The practice stopped when the ice split in two and three people died. It is reported that in 1888 20,000 people watched and tobogganed on the ice near the falls.
In 1848 the flow stopped for several hours. It did not freeze but was water was blocked by a huge ice jam up river. After a few hours water started flowing again. People were able to walk into the river bed and collect artifacts, it is told. In 1996 the American falls was stopped for several months while they pondered whether to remove debris from in front of this small fall. They voted against it because of the expense.
