Niagara Falls is the joint name for two sets of waterfalls from the Niagara River; one in the United States and the other in Canada. The Niagara River flows from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario and is split into two channels by Goat Island. The waterfall in the United States is divided by Luna Island into the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls.
Although the height of the American Falls is 176 feet, due to rocks at the base of the falls the actual waterfall is only 70 feet high.
The Canadian waterfall is named the Horseshoe Falls because of its shape. It is 2,600 feet long and falls 167 feet. It is estimated that 600,000 gallons of water flows over the Horseshoe Falls every second. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, almost one-third of the Horseshoe Falls are located in the United States.
During the winter the flow of water never stops. The falling water and mist can create mounds of ice up to 50 feet thick. An ice bridge may actually form across the river below the falls if the winter is cold for a long enough period of time. On March 29, 1848 an ice jam in the upper river stopped the flow over both falls for several hours, the only known time the flow has completely stopped over both falls. In 1969, the flow to the American Falls was stopped for several months to evaluate the feasibility of removing the large amount of loose rocks at the base of the falls. It was determined that the cost would be too great.
Niagara Falls has also been a haven for publicity seekers and honeymooners. Only ten people who have intentionally gone over Niagara Falls have survived. The first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel and survive was a 63-year old woman who believed the publicity from this 1901 stunt would keep her from dying destitute. There have also been celebrity seekers who have walked a tightrope over the Falls.
Both the United States and Canada use the Niagara River for hydroelectric power. Water from the river (up to 375,000 gallons a second) is diverted into tunnels and canals to two hydroelectric power plans located four and a half miles downstream from the waterfalls. Based upon a United States/Canada treaty signed in 1950 at least 750,000 gallons a second of water must flow over the waterfalls during daylight hours in tourist season (April through October). During night hours and non-tourist season this flow may be cut in half.
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