Strange things scientists discovered after blocking the water of Niagara Falls

For centuries, Niagara Falls has witnessed some strange incidents. In 1827, a hotel owner sent a flock of wild animals down the falls in a cargo ship, and only a goose survived. But on June 12, 1969, something even stranger happened when the US Army Corps of Engineers stopped the waterfall’s flow. Scientists drained Niagara Falls to conduct research, reported Business Insider.

Niagara Falls is an impressive waterfall connecting three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, bordering Ontario in Canada and New York in the United States. The three water bodies are named Horseshoe Falls, American Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls, in order of their size. While the Horseshoe Falls is at the border of two countries, the other two are within the United States. Bridal Veil Falls is separated from Horseshoe Falls by Goat Island and from American Falls by Luna Island, with both islands situated in New York.

According to the Bright Side, Niagara Falls was first formed around 12,000 years ago, after the last Ice Age. The falls appeared after the ice sheets covered the area of Southern Ontario, and they started moving southward, creating basins of the Great Lakes on the way. They melted and released enormous quantities of water into the basins. As the ice melted, the resulting waters started to flow down through what is known as the Niagara River, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.

By the 17th century, Niagara Falls started gaining popularity as a tourist attraction. In 1842, author Charles Dickens visited the site, and describing the beautiful vista, he wrote “When I felt how near to my Creator I was standing, the first effect, and the enduring one — instant lasting — of the tremendous spectacle, was Peace.” The falls were not just a natural wonder, but also a bounty of natural resources. 

A few years after King C. Gillette predicted Niagara Falls could become part of a city called Metropolis, Nikola Tesla designed one of the first hydroelectric plants near the falls. He considered it a significant achievement in human history, per Smithsonian magazine. Over the years, piles of boulders had been building up at the base of the falls. In 1931, almost 76,000 tons of rock slid downwards to the base, and in 1954, 185,000 tons fell, as per Business Insider.  So, boulders were not only causing an unsightly appearance but also posed the risk that the falls would soon turn into rapids. 

So, in the summer of 1969, some scientists were tasked with removing and examining these boulders. Their goal was to analyze how they could save the falls from erosion. To do this, the US Army Corps of Engineers brought…