The
Niagara River flows north from
Lake Erie to
Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of
Ontario in
Canada and
New York State in the
United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river. According to Iroquoian scholar
Bruce Trigger, "Niagara" is derived from the name given to a branch of the locally residing native
Neutral Confederacy, who are described as being called the "Niagagarega" people on several late 17th century French maps of the area. According to
George R. Stewart, it comes from the name of an
Iroquois town called "Ongniaahra", meaning "point of land cut in two".
The river, which is occasionally described as a
strait, is about 35 mi (56 kilometres) long and includes
Niagara Falls in its course. The falls have moved about 7 mi (11 kilometers) upstream from the
Niagara Escarpment in the last 12,000 years, resulting in a gorge below the falls. Today, the 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. Together, they generate 4.4
gigawatts of electricity. The International Control Works, built in 1954, regulates the river flow. Shipping on the
Great Lakes use the
Welland Canal, part of the
Saint Lawrence Seaway, on the Canadian side of the river, thus bypassing the Niagara River and Niagara Falls.
The total drop in elevation along the river is 326 ft (99 m). The Niagara Gorge extends 7 mi (11 km) downstream from the Falls and includes the Niagara Whirlpool and another section of rapids.
The Niagara River features two large islands and numerous smaller islands.
Grand Island and
Navy Island, the two largest islands, are on the American and Canadian sides of the river.
Goat Island and the tiny
Luna Island split Niagara Falls into its three sections, the Horseshoe, Bridal Veil, and American Falls. Squaw Island lies further upstream, alongside the city of
Buffalo.
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.
The American Falls with Goat Island to its right.
History
Queenston, Ontario, then known as Queenstown, Upper Canada, in a c. 1805 watercolour by army surgeon Edward Walsh. The Niagara River is clearly visible.
The Niagara River and Falls have been known outside of North America since the late 17th century, when
Father Louis Hennepin, a French explorer, first witnessed them. He wrote about his travels in
A New Discovery of a Vast Country in America (1698).
The Niagara River was the site of the earliest recorded railway in America. It was an inclined wooden tramway built by
John Montresor (1736-1799), a British military engineer, in 1764. Called "The Cradles" and "The Old Lewiston Incline," it featured loaded carts pulled up wooden rails by rope. It facilitated the movement of goods over the
Niagara Escarpment in present-day
Lewiston, New York.
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.
In the 1880s, the Niagara River became the first waterway in North America to be harnessed for large-scale generation of
hydroelectricity.
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.
Niagara Glen features many rapids downstream of Niagara Falls
Today, the river is the namesake of
Niagara Herald Extraordinary at the
Canadian Heraldic Authority.
Cities and settlements
Population centers along the Niagara River include:
Pollution
The Niagara River is listed as a
Great Lakes Areas of Concern in The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the United States and Canada.
Crossings
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.
Parks
The following parks are located along the Niagara River:
- Queen's Parada Park and Memorial Park
- Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens
- Dufferin Island Natural Area
- Strawberry Island State Park
Falls
Waterways
- Tonawanda Channel - flow of Niagara on the east side of Grand Island
- Chippawa Channel / - flow of Niagara on the west side of Grand Island
Islands
Several islands are located on the upper river before the falls:
- 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
- Strawberry Island - a small park
- 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
- Tonawanda Island - occupied by marina and some industries
- Buckhorn Island - park located on the north end of Grand Island
- 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)
- Robinson Island - named for daredevil Joel Robinson in 1860
- Ship Island & Brig Island
- Luna Island - park located next to Goat Island - originally called Prospect Island
- Cayuga Island - located on the Tonawanda side of the river and mainly residential
- Willow Island - man-made island created in 1759 by Daniel Joncairs and filled in during the 1960s to create the Robert Moses Parkway
- Cedar Island - filled in by the creation of the William Birch Rankine Power Station by Canadian Niagara Power Company in 1905
