Impressum
Disclaimer
The Niagara Falls, after the falls of the Iguazu in the argentine-brazilian
border area and the Viktoria Falls in Zimbabwe, the 3.biggest waterfalls
of the earth, they are situated at the border of the canadian province Ontario and the
US-state New York. The falls are fed by the Niagara-River which
connects the Erie-Lake with the Ontario-Lake. The more impressive canadian part
of the falls, because of its shape called "Horseshoe",
has a width of 792 metres. On US-side the width is 363 metres. The free
fall amazingly ends already after 21 metres on a rubble tip, which was caused
in 1954 by lumps of rock coming down. The medium hight of the falls is 50 metres. Separated are
the falls by "Goat Island",
which belongs to the USA. The flow of water, depending on the time of year,
is between
2800 and 5700 cubic metres/sec, which means an average flow of 4200 cubic metres/sec, or 4.2 million litres/sec, the
flow of water in the Rhine is only half of it.
Depending on the
time of the day 25-75% of the water masses are used for
supply of electricity. For the first time the water power was used in 1757 by
a sawmill. 1881 a generator was used through a channel. In 1950 Canada and the USA have fixed
the quantity of water by contract which may be put on one side to the power
production. The power-stations of both countries are in ca.6 km distance to the
waterfalls.
Almost unbelievable: in the year 1848, March 29th, the falls were for almost 30 hours without water, caused by a heavy storm. Ice-flow on the lake Erie blocked the water-flow. In 1936 the falls were completely frozen. In 1800 the falls become a touristic attraction. In 1885 the USA declared their side of the falls to be a nature-resort. Canada followed one year later.
Niagara tourists today are pampered by many attractions.
Some small
ships, all called "Maid of the Mist" are offered,
so one can drive very
close to the falls. This action is rather wet, so rain-cape are supplied,
on the canadian side in the color blue, yellow on the US side.
Also with the next attraction:
you can walk on the gallery behind the falls.
In 2003 a suicide jumped down the falls on the canadian side and survived, later called the "only one" who survived a fall without some aid. Many reckless falls ended fatally, the try to jump is punished by a fine.
Look behind the falls: As you can see at the right picture, the Niagara-falls can
also be used for a wishing well.
The falls date back 12000 years at the end of the last ice-age. When big glaciers were melting, lake Erie
overflowed. This melting water formed the Niagara-river which feeds the Ontario-lake.
Since their formation the falls have came closer to the lake Erie by 10 km. On the foot of the falls the water-masses erode the slate
rock, which is under the hard rock of Dolomit.
Here
the "americans" in yellow. 