Introduction
Around 18,000 years ago, the falls didn't exist. They were formed then ice sheet from the North Pole left behind vast areas of landscape, what we know today as North America. When the vast chunks of ice started to melt, the fall came into existence. When the glaciers melted, a considerable amount of water was sent into the Niagara River. It took a lot of time for the water to erode the cliffs, and the falls were formed. By the end of the 19the century, the world's first hydroelectric generating station was built near the falls. Soon, it started producing electricity. Unfortunately, the electricity could only carry 300-feet, so everyone knew that improvements had to be made. Nicola Tesla was the man who made those changes. He found a way to send electricity to long distances bu using alternating current. Today, the fall's power plants produce more than two million kilowatts of power.
The scientists wanted to see if it was possible to see what was going on behind the falls. They thought that if they could stop them from flowing, they could find out the mysteries behind them. Tempering nature is a challenge, and many people wondered if what the scientists had planned was even possible. How is it possible to stop such a powerful force?
This may sound strange, but the amount of water changes at night. This isn't something that happens; naturally, it is due to a human factor. Local companies are allowed to take water from the falls, but only at night. During the '50s, the locals signed a treaty to take more water at night when there weren't too many tourists there, and they wouldn't notice a difference.
Technically, the Niagara Falls belong to Canada and the United States. There are parts of the falls that belong only to the United States. The American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls are two parts of Niagara Falls, and they belong only to America. There are not parts of the falls that belong to Canada exclusively.
It was believed that the stones that accumulate at the bottom of the falls could cause problems in the future. The concerns of the New York citizens reached Canada, and an organization that takes care of the shared waters was contacted. They are called the International Joint Commission, and they discovered that something had to be done with the accumulated rocks at the bottom of the waterfalls. They even contacted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for their opinion on the matter.
Nobody could come up with a solution for the accumulated rocks, so they decided to shut down the falls. In the summer of 1969, over 1,000 trucks carried rocks and Earth to the falls just to get them to stop flowing. The loads were dumped upstream of the waterfall for three days. A cofferdam was created, and the falls stopped flowing. The water was redirected from there to the Horseshoe Falls.
The locals were very worried for two reasons. First, they knew that you couldn't control water. What would happen if the water was rerouted the wrong way, causing a significant flood? Also, they were worried about the tourists. What would happen if they failed to get the falls flowing again? Many locals made money from the tourists. If the falls stopped, the money would dry up as well. The tourists did stop visiting the falls that summer, but those who did show up got to see something that nobody will ever see again. They also had the opportunity to take rocks and incredible coins from the riverbed.
The people who watched while the waters of the fall over the falls when it drained saw skeletons in the water. It was unclear whether the skeletons belonged to animals who had drowned or people who had fallen in the falls at one point. When one of the skeletons was examined, it was determined that the man died when he jumped into the falls. The year that he died was unknown. Another skeleton was a woman, and there was no apparent cause of death apart from drowning. It is believed that the woman saw her loved one drown, and decided to meet him in the same spot.
The fact that the experts were able to stop the falls from flowing was incredible. Fortunately, the falls started flowing again, and today, the Niagara Falls are as incredible as ever. Had the experts not been able to stop the water so they could remove the stones back in 1969, we might have lost one of the greatest wonders of the world.
Content
Facts first presents.
This is what scientists found at the bottom of the Niagara Falls that left them.
So disturbed Niagara Falls is one of the most incredible sites on earth, it's a natural border between America and Canada and millions of people visit the Falls every year and are amazed by its beauty and fastness.
There are plenty of photos of the Falls online and in magazines, but nothing compares to the real-life view that you get when you see it up close and personal.
The Falls are amazing and mysterious, which is why a team of scientists decided to investigate it back in 1969.
And this is what scientists found at the bottom of Niagara Falls, which left them so disturbed around 18,000 years ago, the Falls didn't exist.
They were formed when an ice sheet from the North Pole left behind vast areas of landscape what we know today as North America.
When the vast chunks of ice started to melt, the fall came into existence when the glaciers melted a considerable amount of water was sent into the Niagara River.
It took a lot of time for the water to erode the cliffs, and the Falls were formed by the end of the 19th century.
The world's first hydroelectric generating station was built near the Falls soon.
It started producing electricity.
Unfortunately, the electricity could only carry 300 feet.
So everybody knew that improvements had to be made Nikola Tesla was the man who made those changes.
He found a way to send electricity long distances by using alternating current today.
The Falls power plant produces more than two million kilowatts of power.
The scientists wanted to see if it was possible to see what was going on behind the Falls.
They thought that if they could stop them from flowing, they could find out the mysteries behind them.
Tempering nature is a challenge.
And many people wondered if what the scientists had planned was even possible, how's, it possible to stop such a powerful force.
Well, this might sound strange.
But the amount of water changes at night, it's, not something that happens, naturally, it's, actually a human factor.
Local companies are allowed to take water from the Falls.
But only at during the 50s, the locals signed a treaty to take more water at night when there weren't so many tourists there, and they wouldn't notice a difference, technically the Niagara Falls belonged to Canada and the United States.
There are parts of the Falls that belong only to the United States, the American Falls.
And the bridalveil falls are two parts of the Niagara Falls that belong only to America, oddly enough, though there are no parts of the Falls that belong to Canada exclusively, according to the people of New York who visit Niagara Falls regularly.
The Falls have been experiencing change over time.
These New Yorkers have noticed that every time a gallon of water goes down the cliffs, the Falls lose a bit of their charm.
It's believed the stones that accumulate at the bottom of the Falls could cause problems in the future.
The concerns of the New York citizens reached Canada and an organization that takes care of the shared waters was contacted there called the International Joint Commission.
And they discovered that something had to be done with the accumulated rocks at the bottom of the waterfalls.
They even contacted the US Army Corps of Engineers for their opinion on the matter nobody could come up with a good solution for the accumulated rocks.
So they decided to shut down the Falls.
They were going to do it just temporarily.
So that all the stones could be removed from the water in the summer of 1969, over a thousand trucks carried rocks and earth to the Falls, just to get them to stop blowing the loads were dumped.
Upstream of the waterfall for three days, a copper dam was created, and the Falls stopped flowing.
The water was redirected from there to Horseshoe Falls.
The locals were really worried for a couple of reasons first, they knew that you really can't control water.
What would happen if the water was rerouted the wrong way causing a significant flood also they were worried about the tourists.
What would happen if they failed to get the Falls going again, many locals made money from the tourists.
If the Falls stopped the money would dry up as well.
The tourists did stop visiting the Falls that summer.
Obviously because well, the fall was, but those who did show up, they got to see something that nobody will ever see again.
They had an opportunity to take rocks and incredible coins from the Niagara Falls riverbed.
The people who watched the waters over the Falls drain.
They saw skeletons in the water.
It was unclear whether the skeletons belonged to animals who had drowned for people who had fallen in the Falls at one point, when one of the skeletons was examined, it was determined that the man died when he jumped into the Falls.
The year he died was unknown.
Another skeleton was a woman.
And there was no apparent cause of death apart from drowning.
It's believed the woman saw her loved one drown and decided to meet him in the same spot.
The fact the experts were able to stop the Falls from flowing was incredible.
Fortunately, the Falls did start flowing again.
And today, the Niagara Falls are as incredible as ever, and the experts not been able to stop the water.
So they could remove the stones back in 1969, we might have lost one of the greatest wonders of the world.
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