Posted on 01/25/2016 6:00:37 AM PST by Daffynition
Niagara Falls, a distinct collective of three waterfalls that straddle the border of the U.S. and Canada, will go dry in the next two or three years.
But it will only happen on the American side of the falls in New York.
For some, this will be the second time in their lifetime that the falls have dried.
In 1969 researchers stopped the flow of water to study the effects of erosion and buildup of rock at the base of the falls. That year, people traveled from all over the world to see the landmark without water.
(Excerpt) Read more at myfoxboston.com ...
New York State plans to shut off the thundering waters of Niagara Falls - again. At least, the American side of the falls. This “once in a lifetime” event actually may take place twice in some folks’ lifetimes. The New York State parks system wants to turn off the falls on the American side sometime in the next two to three years to replace two 115-year-old stone arch bridges that allow pedestrians, park vehicles and utilities access to Goat Island.
The proposal to “dewater” the falls will be presented at a public hearing Wednesday at the Niagara Falls Conference Center. Two of three plans propose a temporary shutdown of the American Falls.
Shouldn’t be bad on a river but when they drained the lake here a few years ago the sediment gave off a horrible stank.
They want to replace the historic stone arch bridges with modern bridges that won’t last nearly as long? Sounds like a contractor needs some money.
The stone arches were condemned as unsafe over ten years ago. It was in the article.
The falls will be dry for several months. I wonder if anyone has the rappelling and rock climbing concession yet?
The concrete arch bridges were closed in 2004 and temporary truss bridges were put in to provide for safe passage. Underneath, the concrete bridges remain, but the structure has continued to deteriorate.
More than 10 years later, the temporary bridges remain.
The temporary bridges are an “aesthetically unappealing experience for park visitors,†according to the bridge design report. The bridges also restrict views of the rapids and are narrower than the concrete arch bridges.
The proposal is to replace the two stone arch bridges – one from the mainland to Green Island and the other from Green Island to Goat Island. Both bridges are wholly in Niagara Falls State Park in the U.S.
How did they build the stone bridges?
Good time to just put a hydro electric plant there.
People will be able to walk out to the edge and jump over now.
The old bridges are built of concrete with stone facing.
Isn’t there a huge hydro plant right up the river from there?
They have two of them already. Robert Moses GS on the NY side, and Sir Adam Beck GS on the Ontario side.
There is a massive hydro electric plants there already.
During the night, most of the water goes through the hydro plant.
Adam Beck I contains 10 generators and first produced power in 1922.
Adam Beck II contains 16 generators and first produced power in 1954.
Robert Moses contains 13 generators and first produced power in 1961.
1950 Niagara Treaty, designed to ensure an “unbroken curtain of water” is flowing over the falls, states that during daylight time during the tourist season (April 1 to October 31) there must be 100,000 cubic feet per second of water flowing over the falls, and during the night and off-tourist season there must be 50,000 cubic feet per second of water flowing over the falls.
Didn’t Tesla build the first ever hydro plant there?
First major hydro plant. There were many other smaller ones in operation at the time. Lots of different mining operations were already using AC hydro power by then.
http://www.teslasociety.com/niagarafalls.htm
Beautiful pics! I remember being able to walk below the river and behind the upper falls of the Tahquamenon so that you were between the wall of the cliff and the waterfall itself.
“NIAGARA FALLS!!!! slowly i turn, step by step, inch by inch...” somebody had to post this
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