Niagara River

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Niagara River
Satellite image of the Niagara River. Flowing from Lake Erie in the south (bottom of image) to Lake Ontario in the north, the river passes around Grand Island before going over Niagara Falls, after which it narrows in the Niagara Gorge. Two hydropower reservoirs are visible just before the river widens after exiting the gorge. The Welland Canal is visible on the far left side of this image. (Source: NASA Visible Earth)
Satellite image of the Niagara River. Flowing from Lake Erie in the south (bottom of image) to Lake Ontario in the north, the river passes around Grand Island before going over Niagara Falls, after which it narrows in the Niagara Gorge. Two hydropower reservoirs are visible just before the river widens after exiting the gorge. The Welland Canal is visible on the far left side of this image. (Source: NASA Visible Earth)
Origin Lake Erie
Mouth Lake Ontario
Basin countries United States & Canada
Length 36 mi (58 km)[1]
Avg. discharge 204,800 cfs (5,796 m³/s)[2]
Basin area 264,000 sq mi (684,000 km²)[1]

The Niagara River flows to the north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It serves as part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are various theories as to the origin of the name. According to NASA, "Niagara" comes from a Native American word meaning "at the neck".[3] According to George R. Stewart, it comes from the name of an Iroquois town called "Ongniaahra", meaning "point of land cut in two".[4]

Contents

[edit] Description

The river, which is occasionally described as a strait,[5] is approximately 56 kilometres (35 mi) long and includes Niagara Falls along its course. The falls have moved upstream from the Niagara Escarpment about 11 kilometers (7 mi) in the last 12,000 years, resulting in a gorge below the falls. Today, diversion of the river for electricity generation has significantly reduced the rate of erosion.

Power plants on the river are the Sir Adam Beck Hydroelectric Power Stations, on the Canadian side, and the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant, built in 1961, on the American side. The sites generate 4.4 gigawatts of electricity combined. The river flow is also regulated by the International Control Works built in 1954. Shipping on the Great Lakes bypasses the Niagara River and Niagara Falls using the Welland Canal, part of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, located on the Canadian side.

The American Falls with Goat Island to its right.
The American Falls with Goat Island to its right.

The total drop in elevation along the river is 326 ft (99 meters). The Niagara Gorge extends 7 mi (11.26 km)downstream from the Falls and includes the Niagara Whirlpool and another section of rapids. It also one of the few rivers in North America to flow northward, and empties 2/5ths of the fresh water in North America.

The Niagara River features two large islands, Grand Island and Goat Island, both in the United States. The western end of the Erie Canal is near Grand Island. Goat Island and the tiny Luna Island split Niagara Falls into its three sections, the Horseshoe, Bridal Veil, and American Falls. Navy Island, on the Canadian side, is near the north end of Grand Island, while Strawberry Island and Motor Island lie southeast of Grand Island. Squaw Island lies further upstream, alongside the city of Buffalo.

Niagara Glen features many rapids downstream of Niagara Falls
Niagara Glen features many rapids downstream of Niagara Falls

The Niagara River and its tributaries, Tonawanda Creek and the Welland River, formed part of the last section of the Erie Canal and Welland Canal. After leaving Lockport, New York, the Erie Canal proceeds southwest until it enters Tonawanda Creek. After entering the Niagara River, watercraft then proceed southward to the final lock, where a short section of the canal allows boats to avoid the turbulent shoal water at the river intake and enter Lake Erie.

The Welland Canals used the Welland River as a connection to the Niagara River south of the falls, allowing water traffic to safely re-enter the Niagara River and proceed to Lake Erie.

[edit] History

Several battles occurred along the Niagara River, which was historically defended by Fort George (Canadian side) and Fort Niagara (American side) at the mouth of the river and Fort Erie (Canadian side) at the head of the river. These forts were important during the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War. The Battle of Queenston Heights took place near the river in the War of 1812.

The river was an important route to liberation before the American Civil War, when many African-Americans escaping slavery on the Underground Railroad crossed it to find freedom in Canada.

On the Canadian side of the river the Niagara Parks Commission maintains all of the shoreline property, except the sites of Fort George and Fort Erie, as a public greenspace and environmental heritage.

Today, the river is the namesake of Niagara Herald Extraordinary at the Canadian Heraldic Authority.

[edit] Cities and settlements

Population centers along the Niagara River include:

[edit] Pollution

The Niagara River is listed as a Great Lakes Areas of Concern in the The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada.

[edit] Crossings

Main article: List of crossings of the Niagara River

The Niagara River has a long history of both road and rail bridges spanning the river, both upstream and downstream of the Falls. This history includes numerous bridges that have fallen victim to the harsh conditions of the Niagara Gorge, such as landslides and icepacks.

[edit] Parks

[edit] Falls

[edit] Waterways

[edit] Islands

Several islands are located on the upper river before the falls:

  • Navy Island - the only island within Canada and designated as a national historic park Flag of Canada Canada
  • Grand Island - the largest island on the river; some parks, but mostly residential and industrial; originally called Ga-We-Not (Great Island) by the Seneca Indians Flag of the United States United States
  • Green Island - originally called Bath Island, it was renamed in the early 1900s for Niagara Reserveation Commissioner Andrew H. Green Flag of the United States United States
  • Strawberry Island - a small park Flag of the United States United States
  • Motor Island - a small park
  • Squaw Island - located in the city of Buffalo, New York and home to Broderick Park and a waste treatment facility Flag of the United States United States
  • Tonawanda Island - occupied by marina and some industries Flag of the United States United States
  • Buckhorn Island - park located on the north end of Grand Island Flag of the United States United States
  • Goat Island (New York) - park located at the brink of the American Falls was named by John Stedman in the 1770s; briefly renamed to Iris Island by General Augustus Porter, a United States Commissioner (after the Greek Goddess of the Rainbow) Flag of the United States United States
  • Three Sisters Islands - park located next to Goat Island was originally called Moss Islands and later renamed for the three daughters of War of 1812 United States Army General Parkhurst Whitney (Asenath, Angeline and Celinda Eliza) in 1843 Flag of the United States United States
  • Deer Island Flag of the United States United States
  • Little Brother Island Flag of the United States United States
  • Robinson Island - named for daredevil Joel Robinson in 1860 Flag of the United States United States
  • Ship Island & Brig Island Flag of the United States United States
  • Tower Island - man-made island created in 1942 by the US Army Corps of Engineers Flag of the United States United States
  • Gull Island Flag of Canada Canada
  • Luna Island - park located next to Goat Island - originally called Prospect Island Flag of the United States United States
  • Cayuga Island - located on the Tonawanda side of the river and mainly residential Flag of the United States United States
  • Grass Island - filled in during the 1960s to create the Robert Moses Parkway at Point Day Flag of the United States United States
  • Willow Island - man-made island created in 1759 by Daniel Joncairs and filled in during the 1960s to create the Robert Moses Parkway Flag of the United States United States
  • Cedar Island - filled in by the creation of the William Birch Rankine Power Station by Canadian Niagara Power Company in 1905 Flag of Canada Canada
  • Hogg Island - filled in by the creation of the Chippawa - Queenston Power Canal in 1917 and finally by the Sir Adam Beck Dam # 2 in 1950 by the Hydro Electric Power Commission of Ontario Flag of Canada Canada
  • Dufferin Island Flag of Canada Canada

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b Facts & Figures - Niagara Parks, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada (online). Retrieved on 2007-05-30.
  2. ^ Water Resources Data New York Water Year 2003, Volume 3: Western New York, USGS
  3. ^ NASA Visible Earth, Niagara Falls
  4. ^ Stewart, George R. (1967) Names on the Land. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company; pg. 83.
  5. ^ Mobot.org

[edit] References

  • Tiplin, Albert H.; Seibel, George A. and Seibel, Olive M. (1988) Our romantic Niagara: a geological history of the river and the falls Niagara Falls Heritage Foundation, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, ISBN 0969045727

[edit] Further reading

[edit] See also

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[edit] External links