Niagara Falls: Difference between revisions

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'''Niagara Falls''' ({{IPAc-en|n|aɪ|ˈ|æ|ɡ|ər|ə|,_|-|g|r|ə}} {{respell|ny|AGG|ər|ə|,_-|grə}}) is a group of three [[waterfall]]s at the southern end of [[Niagara Gorge]], spanning the [[Canada–United States border|border]] between the [[Provinces and territories of Canada|province]] of [[Ontario]] in Canada and the [[U.S. state|state]] of [[New York (state)|New York]] in the United States. The largest of the three is [[Horseshoe Falls]], which straddles the [[Canada–United States border|international border]] of the two countries.<ref>{{cite web |title=Niagara Falls |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Niagara-Falls-waterfall-North-America |website=britannica.com |access-date=11 July 2022}}</ref> It is also known as the Canadian Falls.<ref name="berton">{{cite book |last= Berton |first= Pierre |title= Niagara: A History of the Falls |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=P_Rr06A2H6UC&pg=PA20 |access-date= December 1, 2010 |year= 2009 |publisher= SUNY Press |isbn= 978-1-4384-2928-1 |pages=1, 20–21}}</ref> The smaller [[American Falls]] and [[Bridal Veil Falls (Niagara Falls)|Bridal Veil Falls]] lie within the United States. Bridal Veil Falls is separated from Horseshoe Falls by [[Goat Island (New York)|Goat Island]] and from American Falls by [[Luna Island]], with both islands situated in New York.

Formed by the [[Niagara River]], which drains [[Lake Erie]] into [[Lake Ontario]] before flowing out to the [[Atlantic Ocean]] bythrough the [[GulfSt. ofLawrence Saint LawrenceRiver]], the combined falls have the [[List of waterfalls by flow rate|highest flow rate]] of any waterfall in North America that has a vertical drop of more than {{convert|50|m|ft|abbr=on}}. During peak daytime tourist hours, more than {{convert|168000|m3|e6ft3|abbr=unit}} of water goes over the crest of the falls every minute.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.niagaraparks.com/visit-niagara-parks/plan-your-visit/niagara-falls-geology-facts-figures/|title=Niagara Falls Geology Facts and Figures|work=Niagara Parks|access-date=October 18, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002171821/https://www.niagaraparks.com/visit-niagara-parks/plan-your-visit/niagara-falls-geology-facts-figures/|archive-date=October 2, 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> Horseshoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America, as measured by flow rate.<ref name="Niagafallstravelguide">{{cite web|url=http://gocanada.about.com/od/niagarafalls/tp/niagara_falls_travel_guide.htm|title=City Profile for Niagara Falls, Ontario|access-date=October 6, 2008|archive-date=September 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921035116/https://www.tripsavvy.com/niagara-falls-canada-1481948|url-status=dead}}</ref> Niagara Falls is famed for its beauty and is a valuable source of [[List of Niagara Falls hydroelectric generating plants|hydroelectric power]]. Balancing recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 19th century.

The peak flow over Horseshoe Falls was recorded at {{convert|6370|m3/s|ft3/s|abbr=on}} per second.<ref name="History of Power">{{cite web | url = http://www.niagarafrontier.com/power.html | title = Niagara Falls History of Power – Historical and engineering data on the U.S. and Canadian power stations | access-date = September 24, 2006}}</ref> The average annual flow rate is {{convert|2400|m3/s|ft3/s|abbr=on}} per second.<ref name="Niagara Falls| World Waterfall Database">{{cite web | url = http://www.worldwaterfalldatabase.com/waterfall/Niagara-Falls-106/ | title = Niagara Falls – World Waterfall Database | access-date = November 15, 2013}}</ref> Since the flow is a direct function of the Lake Erie water elevation, it typically peaks in late spring or early summer. During the summer months, at least {{convert|2800|m3/s|ft3/s|abbr=on}} per second of water traverse the falls, some 90% of which goes over Horseshoe Falls, while the balance is diverted to hydroelectric facilities and then on to American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. This is accomplished by employing a [[weir]] – the [[International Control Dam]] – with movable gates upstream from Horseshoe Falls.

The water flow is halved at night and during the low tourist season winter months and only attains a minimum flow of {{convert|1400|m3/s|ft3/s}} per second. Water diversion is regulated by the 1950 Niagara Treaty and is administered by the International Niagara Board of Control.<ref name="IJC – International Niagara Board of Control">{{cite web |url=http://www.ijc.org/conseil_board/niagara/en/niagara_home_accueil.htm |title=(INBC) – International Niagara Board of Control |access-date=March 19, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20090726231502/http://www.ijc.org/conseil_board/niagara/en/niagara_home_accueil.htm | archive-date=July 26, 2009 }}</ref> The verdant green color of the water flowing over Niagara Falls is a byproduct of the estimated 60 tonnes/minute of dissolved salts and [[rock flour]] (very finely ground rock) generated by the erosive force of the Niagara River.<ref name="Niagara Parks" />

The Niagara River is an [[Importantimportant Birdbird Areaarea]] due to its impact on [[Bonaparte's gulls]], [[ring-billed gulls]], and [[herring gulls]]. Several thousand birds migrate and winter in the surrounding area.<ref>{{cite web|title=GORGE-OUS GULLS OF THE NIAGARA IN WINTER|url=https://nystateparks.blog/2019/11/26/gorge-ous-gulls-of-the-niagara-in-winter/|website=New York State Parks|date=November 26, 2019 |access-date=July 11, 2023}}</ref>

The features that became Niagara Falls were created by the Wisconsin glaciation about 10,000 years ago.<ref name="TesmerBastedo1981">{{cite book|author1=Irving H. Tesmer|author2=Jerold C. Bastedo|title=Colossal Cataract: The Geologic History of Niagara Falls|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_IFDxu0oGQMC&pg=PA41|year=1981|publisher=SUNY Press|isbn=978-0-87395-522-5|pages=41–44}}</ref> The retreat of the ice sheet left behind a large amount of [[meltwater]] (see [[Lake Algonquin]], [[Lake Chicago]], [[Glacial Lake Iroquois]], and [[Champlain Sea]]) that filled up the basins that the glaciers had carved, thus creating the Great Lakes as we know them today.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Larson |first=Grahame |author2=Schaetzl, R. |title=Origin and evolution of the Great Lakes |journal=Journal of Great Lakes Research |volume=27 |issue=4 |pages=518–546 |year=2001 |url=http://www.geo.msu.edu/schaetzl/PDFs/Larson-Great_lakes.pdf |doi=10.1016/S0380-1330(01)70665-X |bibcode=2001JGLR...27..518L |access-date=March 4, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081031073825/http://www.geo.msu.edu/schaetzl/PDFs/Larson-Great_lakes.pdf |archive-date=October 31, 2008 | issn=0380-1330 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |website=InfoNiagara |url=http://www.infoniagara.com/other/history/geo.html |title=Niagara Falls Geological History |access-date=March 3, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006094115/http://www.infoniagara.com/other/history/geo.html |archive-date=October 6, 2014 }}</ref> Scientists posit there is an old valley, [[Saint David's Buried Gorge|St David's Buried Gorge]], buried by [[Drift (geology)|glacial drift]], at the approximate location of the present [[Welland Canal]].

About 10,900 years ago, the Niagara Falls was between present-day [[Queenston|Queenston, Ontario]], and [[Lewiston (town), New York|Lewiston, New York]], but [[erosion]] of the crest caused the falls to retreat approximately {{convert|6.8|mi|km|order=flip}} southward.<ref>Parker E. Calkin and Carlton E. Brett, "Ancestral Niagara River drainage: Stratigraphic and paleontologic setting", ''GSA Bulletin'', August 1978, v. 89; no. 8, pp. 1140–1154</ref> The shape of Horseshoe Falls has changed through the process of erosion, evolving from a small arch to a horseshoe bend to the present day V-shape.<ref name="TourNiagara">{{cite web

The current rate of erosion is approximately {{convert|30|cm|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}} per year, down from a historical average of {{convert|0.919|m|ft|abbr=on}} per year. At this rate, in about 50,000 years Niagara Falls will have eroded the remaining {{convert|32|km|mi|abbr=on}} to Lake Erie, and the falls will cease to exist.<ref name="Niagara Parks">{{cite web |title=Niagara Falls Geology Facts & Figures |url=http://www.niagaraparks.com/media/geology-facts-figures.html |publisher=[[Niagara Parks]] |access-date=April 29, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719093559/http://www.niagaraparks.com/media/geology-facts-figures.html |archive-date=July 19, 2011 }}</ref><ref name="m457">{{cite web | title=Niagara Falls | website=The New York State Museum | url=https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/research-collections/geology/resources/niagara-falls#:~:text=And%20by%20some%20estimates%2C%20the,very%20slowly%20drain%20Lake%20Erie. | access-date=2024-08-18}}</ref><ref name="p436">{{cite web | title=Niagara Falls is Moving | website=International Joint Commission | date=2018-11-15 | url=https://www.ijc.org/en/niagara-falls-moving | access-date=2024-08-18}}</ref>

Preservation efforts continued well into the 20th century. J. Horace McFarland, the [[Sierra Club]], and the [[Appalachian Mountain Club]] persuaded the [[United States Congress]] in 1906 to enact legislation to preserve the falls by regulating the waters of the Niagara River.<ref>Burton Act</ref> The act sought, in cooperation with the Canadian government, to restrict diversion of water, and a treaty resulted in 1909 that limited the total amount of water diverted from the falls by both nations to approximately 56,000 cubic feet per second (1,600&nbsp;m<sup>3<{{convert|56000|ft3/sup>s|m3/s)|order=flip}}. That limitation remained in effect until 1950.<ref>U.S. Statutes at Large, Vol. 34, Part 1, Chap. 3621, pp. 626–28. "An Act For the control and regulation of the waters of Niagara River, for the preservation of Niagara Falls, and for other purposes". H.R. 18024; Public Act No. 367</ref>

Many figures have been suggested as first circulating a European eyewitness description of Niagara Falls. The Frenchman [[Samuel de Champlain]] visited the area as early as 1604 during his exploration of what is now Canada, and members of his party reported to him the spectacular waterfalls, which he described in his journals. The first description of the falls is credited to Belgian missionary, Father [[Louis Hennepin]] in 1677, after traveling with the explorer [[René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle]], thus bringing the falls to the attention of Europeans. French Jesuit missionary [[Paul Ragueneau]] likely visited the falls some 35 years before Hennepin's visit while working among the [[Wyandot people|Huron First Nation]] in Canada. [[Jean de Brébeuf]] also may have visited the falls, while spending time with the [[Neutral Nation]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://puffin.creighton.edu/jesuit/relations/relations_33.html |title=The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents Volume 33 |publisher=Puffin.creighton.edu |access-date=October 16, 2010 |archive-date=March 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160321002602/http://www.puffin.creighton.edu/jesuit/relations/relations_33.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The FinnishFinland-Swedish naturalist [[Pehr Kalm]] explored the area in the early 18th century and is credited with the first scientific description of the falls. In 1762, Captain [[Thomas Davies (British Army officer)|Thomas Davies]], a British Army officer and artist, surveyed the area and painted the watercolor, ''[[An East View of the Great Cataract of Niagara]]'', the first eyewitness painting of the falls.<ref name="christie1">{{cite web| title=Captain Thomas Davies (1737–1812): An East View of the Great Cataract of Niagara| url=http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/drawings-watercolors/captain-thomas-davies-an-east-view-5873997-details.aspx| publisher=[[Christie's]]| date=April 1, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| last=Dickenson| first=Victoria| title=Drawn from Life: Science and Art in the Portrayal of the New World| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MHET0UM9Q40C&pg=PA195| page=195| year=1998| publisher=University of Toronto Press| isbn=978-0-8020-8073-8}}</ref>

After the [[World War I|First World War]], tourism boomed as automobiles made getting to the falls much easier. The story of Niagara Falls in the 20th century is largely that of efforts to harness the energy of the falls for [[hydroelectric power]], and to control the development on both sides that threaten the area's natural beauty. Before the late 20th century, the northeastern end of Horseshoe Falls was in the United States, flowing around the Terrapin Rocks, which were once connected to Goat Island by a series of bridges. In 1955, the area between the rocks and Goat Island was filled in, creating [[Terrapin Point]].<ref name="berton"/> In the early 1980s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers filled in more land and built [[diversion dam]]s and [[retaining wall]]s to force the water away from Terrapin Point. Altogether, {{convert|400|ft|m|abbr=on|order=flip}} of Horseshoe Falls were eliminated, including {{convert|100|ft|m|abbr=on|order=flip}} on the Canadian side. According to author Ginger Strand, the Horseshoe Falls is now entirely in Canada.<ref name="strand">{{cite book |last= Strand |first=Ginger |title=Inventing Niagara: Beauty, Power, and Lies |year= 2009 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=978-1-4165-4657-3 |page= 195 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=obXliU3-7WcC&pg=PA195| access-date= December 1, 2010}}</ref> Other sources say "most of" Horseshoe Falls is in Canada.<ref name="vanderwilt">Vanderwilt, Dirk (2007). ''Niagara Falls: With the Niagara Parks, Clifton Hill, and Other Area Attractions'', p. 35. Channel Lake, Inc., {{ISBN|978-0-9792043-7-1}}</ref>

The only recorded freeze-up of the river and falls was caused by an ice jam on March 29, 1848. No water (or at best a trickle) fell for as much as 40 hours. Waterwheels stopped, and mills and factories shut down for having no power.<ref>{{cite news|last=Alfred|first=Randy|date=March 30, 2010|title=March 30, 1848: Niagara Falls Runs Dry|work=Wired.com|url=https://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2010/03/0330niagara-falls-stops|access-date=October 16, 2010|id=This Day in Tech}}</ref> In 1912, American Falls was completely frozen, but the other two falls kept flowing. Although the falls commonly ice up most winters, the river and the falls do not freeze completely. The years 1885, 1902, 1906, 1911, 1932, 1936, 2014, 2017 and 2019 are noted for partial freezing of the falls.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.niagarafallsmarriott.com/niagara-seasons/does-niagara-falls-freeze-in-the-winter/|title=Does Niagara Falls Freeze in the Winter?|date=December 15, 2016|website=Marriott Niagara Falls Hotel}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/niagara-falls-frozen/|title=FACT CHECK: Do Photographs Capture Niagara Falls Frozen?|website=Snopes.com|date=January 23, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/does-niagara-falls-freeze-has-niagara-falls-frozen.html |title=Does Niagara Falls Freeze? Has Niagara Falls Frozen? |date=July 15, 2019 |publisher=World Atlas |access-date=November 4, 2019 }}</ref> A so-called ice bridge was common in certain years at the base of the falls and was used by people who wanted to cross the river before bridges had been built. During some winters, the ice sheet was as thick as {{convert|40|to|100|ft|m|order=flip}}, but that thickness has not occurred since 1954. The ice bridge of 1841 was said to be at least {{convert|100 feet|ft|m|order=flip}} thick.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.niagarafallsinfo.com/niagara-falls-history/niagara-falls-geology/ice-bridges-of-niagara/historic-niagara-ice-bridges/ |title=Ice Bridges of Niagara Falls |date=July 11, 2007 |publisher=Info Niagara |access-date=November 4, 2019 }}</ref> On February 4, 1912, the ice bridge which had formed on January 15 began breaking up while people were still on it. Many escaped, but three died during the event, later named the Ice Bridge Tragedy.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.niagarafallstourism.com/blog/ice-bridge-tragedy/ |title=ICE BRIDGE TRAGEDY |date=February 22, 2018 |publisher=Niagara Falls Tourism |access-date=November 4, 2019 |archive-date=November 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112024851/https://www.niagarafallstourism.com/blog/ice-bridge-tragedy/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Another Lower Niagara bridge had been commissioned in 1883 by [[Cornelius Vanderbilt]] for use by railways at a location roughly approximately {{convert|200 feet|ft|m|order=flip|sigfig=1}} south of the Railway Suspension Bridge. This one was of an entirely different design; it was a [[cantilever bridge]] to provide greater strength. The [[Niagara Cantilever Bridge]] had two cantilevers which were joined by steel sections; it opened officially in December 1883, and improvements were made over the years for a stronger structure. As rail traffic was increasing, the [[Michigan Central Railroad]] company decided to build a new bridge in 1923, to be located between the Lower Steel Arch Bridge and the Cantilever Bridge. The [[Michigan Central Railway Bridge]] opened in February 1925 and remained in use until the early 21st century. The Cantilever Bridge was removed and scrapped after the new rail bridge opened.<ref name="auto1"/> Nonetheless, it was inducted into the [[North America Railway Hall of Fame]] in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://casostation.ca/mcr-cantilever-bridge/|title=MCR Cantilever Bridges|date=June 10, 2006|work=NARHF|access-date=January 10, 2020|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804130941/http://casostation.ca/mcr-cantilever-bridge/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="auto1"/>

The enormous energy of Niagara Falls has long been recognized as a potential source of power. The first known effort to harness the waters was in 1750, when [[Daniel-Marie Chabert de Joncaire de Clausonne|Daniel Joncaire]] built a small canal above the falls to power his sawmill.<ref name="Eisenstadt2005">{{cite book|author=Peter Eisenstadt|title=Encyclopedia of New York State|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tmHEm5ohoCUC&pg=PA1110|date= 2005|publisher=Syracuse University Press|isbn=978-0-8156-0808-0|page=1110}}</ref> Augustus and Peter Porter purchased this area and all of American Falls in 1805 from the New York state government, and enlarged the original canal to provide [[hydropower|hydraulic power]] for their gristmill and tannery. In 1853, the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power and Mining Company was chartered, which eventually constructed the canals that would be used to generate electricity.<ref name="Pool1897">{{cite book|author=William Pool|title=Landmarks of Niagara County, New York|url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924028832230|year=1897|publisher=D. Mason|page=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924028832230/page/176 176]}}</ref> In 1881, under the leadership of [[Jacob F. Schoellkopf]], the Niagara River's first [[hydroelectric]] generating station was built. The water fell {{convert|86|ft|m|order=flip}} and generated [[direct current]] electricity, which ran the machinery of local [[watermill|mills]] and lit up some of the village streets.

By 1896, financing from moguls including [[J. P. Morgan]], [[John Jacob Astor IV]], and the [[Vanderbilt family|Vanderbilts]] had fueled the construction of giant underground conduits leading to turbines generating upwards of {{convert|100000|hp|MW|lk=on|order=flip}}, sent as far as Buffalo, {{convert|20|mi|abbr=on|order=flip}} away. Some of the original designs for the power transmission plants were created by the Swiss firm Faesch & Piccard, which also constructed the original {{cvt|5,000|hp|MW|order=flip}} waterwheels. Private companies on the Canadian side also began to harness the energy of the falls. The [[Government of Ontario]] eventually brought power transmission operations under public control in 1906, distributing Niagara's energy to various parts of the Canadian province.

In 1961, when the Niagara Falls hydroelectric project went online, it was the largest hydropower facility in the Western world. Today, Niagara is still the largest electricity producer in New York state, with a generating capacity of 2.4&nbsp;GW. Up to {{convert|1420|m3/s|usgalft3/s}} of water per second is diverted from the Niagara River through conduits under the city of Niagara Falls to the Lewiston and [[Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant|Robert Moses]] power plants. Currently between 50% and 75% of the Niagara River's flow is diverted via four huge tunnels that arise far upstream from the waterfalls. The water then passes through hydroelectric turbines that supply power to nearby areas of Canada and the United States before returning to the river well past the falls.<ref name="NMAH">{{cite web| url=http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object.cfm?key=35&objkey=251| title=Niagara Falls Original Turbines| publisher=[[National Museum of American History]], Smithsonian Institution| access-date=June 19, 2008}}</ref> When electrical demand is low, the Lewiston units can operate as pumps to transport water from the lower bay back up to the plant's [[reservoir]], allowing this water to be used again during the daytime when electricity use peaks. During peak electrical demand, the same Lewiston pumps are reversed and become generators.<ref name="nypa" />

To preserve Niagara Falls' natural beauty, a 1950 treaty signed by the U.S. and Canada limited water usage by the power plants. The treaty allows higher summertime diversion at night when tourists are fewer and during the winter months when there are even fewer tourists.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=ytwDAAAAMBAJ&dq=1954+Popular+Mechanics+January&pg=PA115 "Niagara Power Goes Under Ground"] ''Popular Mechanics'', April 1952, p. 115.</ref> This treaty, designed to ensure an "unbroken curtain of water" flowing over the falls, states that during daylight time during the tourist season (April 1 to October 31) there must be {{convert|100000|ft3/s|m3/s|order=flip}} of water flowing over the falls, and during the night and off-tourist season there must be {{convert|50,000|ft3/s|m3/s|order=flip}} of water flowing over the falls. This treaty is monitored by the International Niagara Board of Control, using a [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]] gauging station above the falls. During winter, the Power Authority of New York works with Ontario Power Generation to prevent ice on the Niagara River from interfering with power production or causing flooding of shoreline property. One of their joint efforts is an {{convert|8800|ft|m|adj=mid|-long|order=flip}} ice boom, which prevents the buildup of ice, yet allows water to continue flowing downstream.<ref name="nypa">{{cite web |url=http://www.nypa.gov/facilities/niagara.htm |title=NYPA Niagara |publisher=Nypa.gov |access-date=October 16, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114025315/https://www.nypa.gov/facilities/niagara.htm |archive-date=January 14, 2009 }}</ref> In addition to minimum water volume, the crest of Horseshoe falls was reduced to maintain an uninterrupted "curtain of water".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Macfarlane|first1=Daniel|title=How engineers created the icy wonderland at Niagara Falls|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2018/01/07/how-engineers-created-the-icy-wonderland-at-niagara-falls|access-date=January 9, 2018|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=January 9, 2018}}</ref>

In August 2005, [[Ontario Power Generation]], which is responsible for the [[Sir Adam Beck Hydroelectric Generating Stations|Sir Adam Beck stations]], started a major civil engineering project, called the [[Niagara Tunnel Project]], to increase power production by building a new {{convert|12.7|m|adj=on}} diameter, {{convert|10.2|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} water diversion tunnel. It was officially placed into service in March 2013, helping to increase the generating complex's [[nameplate capacity]] by 150 [[&nbsp;megawatts]]. It did so by tapping water from farther up the Niagara River than was possible with the preexisting arrangement. The tunnel provided new [[hydroelectricity]] for approximately 160,000 homes.<ref name="NiagaraFrontier-TechFacts">[http://www.niagarafrontier.com/tunneltechnical.html "Niagara Tunnel Project Technical Facts"], ''NiagaraFrontier.com'', updated November 2012.</ref><ref name="OPG-Website">{{cite web |url=http://www.opg.com/power/hydro/new_projects/ntp/index.asp |date=March 21, 2013 |title=Niagara Tunnel Now In-Service |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131119130706/http://www.opg.com/power/hydro/new_projects/ntp/index.asp |archive-date=November 19, 2013 |website=Ontario Power Generation |access-date=April 11, 2013}}</ref>

The cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, and Niagara Falls, New York, United States, are connected by two international bridges. The Rainbow Bridge, just downriver from the falls, affords the closest view of the falls and is open to non-commercial vehicle traffic and pedestrians. The Whirlpool Rapids Bridge lies {{convert|1|mi|spellkm|order=inflip}} north of the Rainbow Bridge and is the oldest bridge over the Niagara River. Nearby [[Niagara Falls International Airport]] and [[Buffalo Niagara International Airport]] were named after the waterfall, as were [[Niagara University]], countless local businesses, and even an [[asteroid]].<ref name="Asteroid">Asteroid ''12382 Niagara Falls'' was named after the falls.</ref>

In the "Miracle at Niagara", on July 9, 1960, Roger Woodward, a seven-year-old American boy, was swept over Horseshoe Falls after the boat in which he was cruising lost power; two tourists pulled his 17-year-old sister Deanne from the river only {{convert|20|ft|m|order=flip|sigfig=1|abbr=on}} from the lip of the Horseshoe Falls at Goat Island.<ref name="Goat Island">{{cite web | url = http://www.wholesomewords.org/children/stories/overfalls.html | title = Over the Falls | access-date = September 24, 2006}}</ref> Minutes later, Woodward was plucked from the roiling plunge pool beneath Horseshoe Falls after grabbing a life ring thrown to him by the crew of the ''[[Maid of the Mist]]'' boat.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.infoniagara.com/history/rogerwoodward_miracle.aspx| title=Account of Roger Woodward's Niagara Falls incident| access-date=October 3, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.nfpl.library.on.ca/nfplindex/search.asp?search=1&db=5&idx=ti&query=roger+Woodward| title=Pictures from the Niagara Falls Public Library (Ont.) Includes a stamp issued to commemorate the event| access-date=October 3, 2008}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> The children's uncle, Jim Honeycutt, who had been steering the boat, was swept over the edge to his death.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.niagarafallsinfo.com/niagara-falls-history/niagara-falls-tourism-history/daredevils-of-niagara-falls/roger-woodward/ |title=Roger Woodward |date=July 11, 2007 |publisher=Info Niagara|access-date=November 4, 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.maidofthemist.com/the-maid-experience/maid-history/|title=Maid History &#124; Niagara Falls Boat Rides & Trips &#124; Maid of the Mist|date=April 8, 2022 }}</ref>

On July 2, 1984, Canadian [[Karel Soucek]] from [[Hamilton, Ontario]], plunged over Horseshoe Falls in a barrel with only minor injuries. Soucek was fined $500 for performing the stunt without a license. In 1985, he was fatally injured while attempting to re-create the Niagara drop at the [[Astrodome|Houston Astrodome]]. His aim was to climb into a barrel hoisted to the rafters of the Astrodome and to drop {{convert|180|ft|m|abbr=on|order=flip}} into a water tank on the floor. After his barrel released prematurely, it hit the side of the tank, and he died the next day from his injuries.<ref name="KarelSoucek">{{cite web |url=http://www.infoniagara.com/other/daredevils/karel.html| title=Info Niagara Karel Soucek |access-date=February 8, 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080109131113/http://www.infoniagara.com/other/daredevils/karel.html| archive-date = January 9, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=httphttps://articleswww.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-01-21/news/-mn-14186_1_water14186-tankstory.html|title=35,000 Watch as Barrel Misses Water Tank : 180-Ft. Drop Ends in Stunt Man's Death|agency=Associated Press|date=January 21, 1985|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=September 20, 2018|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}}</ref>

On March 11, 2009, a man survived an unprotected trip over Horseshoe Falls. When rescued from the river he suffered from severe [[hypothermia]] and a large wound to his head. His identity was never released. Eyewitnesses reported seeing the man intentionally enter the water.<ref name="CBCSecondSurvivor">{{cite news| url=httphttps://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2009/03/11/fallsman-survives-plunge-into-niagara-falls-1.html782130?ref=rss |title=Man survives plunge into Niagara Falls |publisher= [[CBC News]] |date=March 11, 2009 |access-date=March 25, 2009}}</ref><ref name="SecondSurvivor">{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/03/11/niagara.plunge | title=Man survives plunge over Niagara Falls | access-date=March 11, 2009 | date=March 11, 2009 | work=CNN | archive-date=September 15, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200915045333/http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/03/11/niagara.plunge/ | url-status=dead }}</ref> On May 21, 2012, an unidentified man became the fourth person to survive an unprotected trip over Horseshoe Falls. Eyewitness reports show he "deliberately jumped" into the Niagara River after climbing over a railing.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/man-survives-plunge-over-niagara-falls-only-3rd-person-without-safety-device-to-survive/2012/05/21/gIQAMnR4fU_story.html|title=Man survives plunge over Niagara Falls; only 3rd person without safety device to survive|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] }}{{dead link|date=June 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Staff |title=Man Survives Plunge over Horseshoe Falls |url=http://niagara-gazette.com/local/x1968166742/Man-survives-plunge-over-Horseshoe-Falls |work=[[Niagara Gazette]] |date=May 21, 2012 |access-date=May 25, 2012 }}</ref> On July 8, 2019, at roughly 4 am, officers responded to a report of a person in crisis at the brink of the Canadian side of the falls. Once officers got to the scene, the man climbed the retaining wall, jumped into the river and went over Horseshoe Falls. Authorities subsequently began to search the lower Niagara River basin, where the man was found alive but injured sitting on the rocks at the water's edge.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wivb.com/news/man-goes-over-horseshoe-falls-survives-with-non-life-threatening-injuries/|title=Man goes over Horseshoe Falls, survives with non-life threatening injuries|date=July 8, 2019|website=WIVB|access-date=July 10, 2019|archive-date=November 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126012308/https://www.wivb.com/news/man-goes-over-horseshoe-falls-survives-with-non-life-threatening-injuries/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On June 15, 2012, high wire artist [[Nik Wallenda]] became the first person to walk across the falls area in 116 years, after receiving special permission from both governments.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/16/nyregion/wallendas-niagara-falls-tightrope-walk-stirs-excitement.html |title=Niagara Falls Fills with Excitement in Wait of Tightrope Walk |newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 15, 2012 |first1=Danny |last1=Hakim |first2=Liz |last2=Leyden}}</ref> The full length of his tightrope was {{convert|1800|ft|m|order=flip}}.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jun/16/nik-wallenda-niagara-tightrope-succeeds?newsfeed=true Niagara Falls tightrope walk: Nik Wallenda succeeds]. guardian.co.uk. June 16, 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2012.</ref> Wallenda crossed near the brink of Horseshoe Falls, unlike walkers who had crossed farther downstream. According to Wallenda, it was the longest unsupported tightrope walk in history.<ref>{{cite news| title=Wallenda's plan for the falls| author=Michael Woods| author2=Liam Casey| date=June 10, 2012| work=[[Toronto Star]] |publisher=NiagaraThisWeek.com| url=http://www.niagarathisweek.com/news/article/1371877--wallenda-s-plan-for-the-falls| access-date=June 20, 2012}}</ref> He carried his passport on the trip and was required to present it upon arrival on the Canadian side of the falls.<ref name="CTV">{{cite news |title= Nik Wallenda makes historic Niagara Falls walk |author= Emily Senger |publisher=CTV News|date=June 16, 2012 |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/nik-wallenda-makes-historic-niagara-falls-walk-1.841429 |access-date=June 16, 2012}}</ref>

On the Canadian side, [[Queen Victoria Park]] features manicured gardens, platforms offering views of American, Bridal Veil, and Horseshoe Falls, and underground walkways leading into observation rooms that yield the illusion of being within the falling waters. Along the Niagara River, the Niagara River Recreational Trail runs {{convert|35|mi|abbr=on|order=flip}} from [[Fort Erie, Ontario|Fort Erie]] to [[Fort George, Ontario|Fort George]], and includes many historical sites from the [[War of 1812]].<ref name="npnrrt">{{cite web