Niagara Falls
By Gabby Stoddard
Niagara Falls
Did you know at least 5,500 bodies have been recovered from the bottom of Niagara Falls. That's how many people have gone over the edge of Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls is a beautiful place with an interesting history. It has an intriguing set up, and thousands of people visit each year. It has changed a lot over time, what would have happened if it hadn't changed.
Niagara Falls is located in Ontario. It represents Canada in America. Niagara Falls actually consists of three different waterfalls. The American falls is fully in America. The horseshoe falls is mostly in Canada. Third, bridal veil falls separates the other two. The water for the waterfalls comes from the five Great Lakes. All together Niagara Falls looks like an S starting at horseshoe falls, and has 168,000 cubic meters of water going over the edge.
It's estimated that the falls were formed, by erosion, about 12,000 years ago. The first written down discovery of the falls was made by a man named father Louis Hennepin. Later a man named William Hamilton Merritt planned and promoted the forts suspension bridge over Niagara Falls. The bridge was used for tourists to get a better and closer look at the falls.
Eventually erosion started cutting back at Niagara Falls, so the government started controlling the water, to slow down erosion. The water that was taken from I the falls was taken and used for power. Because so much water was being taken and used for power, Niagara Falls became the biggest power source in the world.
Although water is controlled ninety percent of the water actually goes down horseshoe falls. Horseshoe falls is 170 feet high, and 2,500 feet wide. While American falls is 180 feet high, and 1,100 feet long. The river right below where Niagara Falls ends is 170 feet deep. Before the water was controlled erosion eating away at the rock forced back the brink of the falls at least three feet a year. That's because 5.5 million gallons of water per hour went over the edge of the falls. At the end of the falls is a little gorge, called great gorge. With that much water going into that little of a gorge, it creates rapids. The these are called whirlwind rapids. That still happens today, even though there is much less water going over the edge of the falls.
Over time Niagara Falls has marveled every visitor with its beauty. It represents Canada in America. It was first discover by Louis Hennepin, and other people built on to it. Eventually the government had to control the water, to stop erosion. The water going over creates fast, white rapids. In conclusion Niagara Falls never ceases to amaze everyone that visits.
Niagara Falls
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Citations
"Niagara Falls." History.com. 1 Jan. 2010. Web. 23 Nov. 2014.
"Niagara Falls Geology Facts and Figures."Niagaraparks.com. 1 Jan. 2012. Web. 11 Nov. 2014.