Strange happenings have taken place at Niagara Falls for centuries. In 1827, a hotel owner sent a freighter over the falls with a herd of wild animals, but only one goose survived. But on June 12, 1969, when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stopped the water from flowing over the falls, something even stranger happened. Scientists reportedly lowered the water level at Niagara Falls to study the phenomenon. Business Insider.
Niagara Falls is an impressive trio of connected waterfalls at the southern end of the Niagara Gorge, bordering the Canadian province of Ontario and the US state of New York. The three bodies of water are named, in order of size, Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls. Horseshoe Falls is on the border between the two countries, while the other two are in the United States. Bridal Veil Falls is separated from Horseshoe Falls by Goat Island and from American Falls by Luna Island, both of which are in New York state.
by bright sideNiagara Falls first formed about 12,000 years ago, after the last ice age. The falls appeared after an ice sheet covered the area of southern Ontario and moved south, forming the Great Lakes basin along the way. The ice sheet melted, releasing large amounts of water into the basin. As the ice melted, the water began to flow through the areas known as the Niagara River, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.
By the 17th century, Niagara Falls began to gain popularity as a tourist attraction. In 1842, author Charles Dickens visited the site and described the beautiful scenery, writing, “My first impression of this wonderful sight, and my lasting impression, an instantaneous impression, was that of peace, as I realized that I stood near my Creator.” In addition to being a natural wonder, the falls were also a treasure trove of natural resources.
A few years after King C. Gillette predicted that Niagara Falls could become part of a city called Metropolis, Nikola Tesla designed one of the first hydroelectric power plants near the falls, which he considered a major achievement in human history. Smithsonian MagazineOver the years, boulders have piled up at the base of the falls. According to Business Insider, in 1931, nearly 76,000 tons of rock slid to the base of the falls, and in 1954, 185,000 tons of rock fell. So not only did the boulders create an unsightly appearance, they also posed a risk of the falls quickly turning into a rapids.
So in the summer of 1969, scientists were tasked with removing and studying these rocks. Their goal was to analyze how to protect the falls from erosion. To do this, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers loaded 27,000 tons of rock onto thousands of trucks and built a dam to hold back the water. According to Bright Side, this water was funneled over the Horseshoe Falls, absorbing the rushing water.
When the waterfall was drained, researchers were amazed by what they found at its dry base. The waterless base was littered with coins that people had likely thrown into the waterfall to make wishes. Besides the coins, two human remains were also found. In the following weeks, over 100,000 people visited the site to view the waterless waterfall from the exposed cliffs. Most were curious as to why the water had stopped and for how long it would remain so. Meanwhile, for the next five months, engineers tirelessly explored the rocky base, and in 1974 came to the conclusion that the rocks were necessary to maintain the waterfall’s position. American Falls International Committee In its report, it stated its opposition to its removal.
So on November 25, 1969, a crane arrived at the Niagara site and cut a hole in the dam, causing water to pour out in a torrent. The American Falls once again gushed forth, but scientists predict that the falls may one day need to be blocked again to allow repairs to the surrounding bridges.
