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Niagara FallsFrom Great Lakes WikiNiagara Falls is an Area of Concern copyright 2004, Arthur Morris
[edit] Recent NewsPower Plan Raises More Questions by Jill Terreri from the Niagara Gazette (Oct 19th, 2006) [edit] The Falls Niagara Falls consists of three waterfalls flowing from the Niagara river on the border of the United States and Canada. Goat Island separates the Horseshoe falls from the American and Bridal Veil Falls. Around 100,000 cubic feet of water flows over the falls every second. Horseshoe Falls is 2,600 feet wide and is the largest of the three waterfalls flowing from the Niagara. [edit] Historical Preservation of the Falls Up until the late 1800's, land around Niagara Falls was privately owned, and in jeopardy of being developed for commercial ventures. A series of letters from Jonathan Baxter Harrison to newspapers in Boston and New York was part of what was called the "Free Niagara Movement" which started to turn the public eye on Niagara preservation. In 1885 the Niagara Preservation State Park and the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park were formed by the United States and Canada respectively. Both bought land from developers in order to preserve the natural beauty of Niagara. Today the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park owns the entire Canadian side of the Niagara River, from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.
[edit] Industrial Pollution in the Niagara RiverThe first human interaction with the Niagara River began in the 1600's when the Neutral Indians settled on the banks. The river began to feel the impact of the settlers' development in the form of garbage, sewage, and human waste. Until the early 1900's, sewage treatment was unheard of. In addition to these non-point source pollutions, Niagara Falls, New York was becoming a major manufacturing and milling area. In 1909, both Canada and the United States signed the Boundary Waters Treaty stating that neither side could pollute in shared waters. The treaty was not enforced by either side because of the pressure from the ongoing industrial revolution. Industry at this time was looking for cheap power, which the Niagara Falls area could provide. Since no waste treatment regulations were made by this time, raw industrial waste could be dumped into the Niagara with no consequence to the industry. Chemical companies at this time were establishing themselves on the Niagara River, resulting in billions of dumped chemicals. Ordinarily the water flow in the river may have been enough to flush out these chemicals, but with the diversion of water for hydroelectric power, the chemicals remained in the area.  By the 1970's, life in the Niagara River was exhausted from all the toxins. Fish were dead, some species even completely gone. Each day waterfowl could be found dead on the banks of the river. More chemical dumping continued:
In 1984 it was estimated by the Canadian government that 9,000 lbs of toxic chemicals were being legally dumped into the Niagara River every day. Today the United States EPA has listed 26 superfund sites along the Niagara, and nearby cities have began cleanup projects for improve the river. With the past 100 years of toxins going into the Niagara River, it would take over 200 years to renew the river if all current dumping was immediately stopped. [1] [edit] Erosion of the Falls Since the formation of Niagara Falls, erosion has moved the crest of the falls several miles south of its original location. This erosion may eventually go far enough to drain most of Lake Erie, whose bottom is higher than the bottom of the falls. Engineers have been working for years to slow this process as much as possible. In 1969 the American Falls water was diverted into the Horseshoe Falls for several months, while engineers bolted faults in the rock. There was also a plan of removing the large collection of rocks at the bottom of the falls, to enhance appearance, but that plan was abandoned due to its huge cost. [2]
[edit] Water Diversion for Hydroelectric Power Since the first record Niagara water being used for power in 1759, the Niagara river has grown into a huge source of hydroelectric power. The largest two power companies still running off the falls water are Sir Adam Beck's Hydroelectric Power Stations (built on the Canadian side in 1922) and Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant (built on the U.S. side in 1961.) [3] These stations, coupled with other smaller power stations divert up to 6,480,000,000 cubic feet of water per day from the river in tourist season. When it is not tourist season, even more water than this is diverted from the Niagara river before it reaches the falls. The exact specifications for the times and the amount of the water allowed to be diverted can be found in the 1950 Niagara Treaty.
[edit] SourcesNiagara Poetry |
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