The US government is turning off Niagara falls for repairs. This will be a very, VERY rare opportunity to see what lurks behind those millions of gallons of water. And surprisingly it’s not that difficult to do.
New State announced plans in 2016 to replace two 115-year-old pedestrian bridges near the brink of the falls. The project would potentially leave the American and Bridal Veil Falls dry for up to nine months while water from the Niagara River is diverted over the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.
This was done once before, for a 1969 study of erosion which caused an international stir.
The result then, as now, would be a rare look at the rock formations that lie beneath the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls on the United States side while having an opportunity to witness a more robust Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side. It currently handles about 85% of the flow.
But before you get your credit cards out and start booking a room there are a few things you should know. Currently there’s no funding in place for the plan so the earliest it could be shut off would be around 2019 and the champion of the proposal ,Regional New York parks chief Mark Thomas retired in May so there may be further delays.
