In 1969, the Niagara Falls were dried up to inspect hidden rocks, revealing surprising findings and altering tourism.
Niagara Falls drying in 1969
Between June and November 1969, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers diverted the Niagara River to dry out the American side of the falls, an episode retraced by the magazine Slate. This unusual project aimed to inspect the rock wall beneath the falls, which had been accumulating debris over the years.Engineering the diversion
To dry out the falls, a local company diverted nearly 28,000 tons of earth and rock across the river, building an 180-meter dam connecting the shore to Goat Island. This structure redirected the entire flow of the river to the neighboring Canadian falls, the Horsehoe Falls, and the American falls fell silent on June 12, 1969, reduced to a trickle of water.Exploration of the dry falls
For five months, geologists and engineers explored a stone bed normally submerged under tons of water. They collected millions of coins thrown by visitors along the way, and even some bones. Meanwhile, the Horsehoe Falls on the Canadian side doubled in power by suddenly receiving the entire river flow.Impact on tourism and the falls
The sight of one of the Niagara Falls dry caused a drop in tourist visits that year. At the base of the falls, the accumulated rocks formed an immense pile sometimes reaching more than half their height. As early as 1965, the mayor of Niagara Falls, in the state of New York, wanted to remove these blocks to recover the natural view and address concerns about the stability of the falls.
