Is it true that the Niagara Falls are turned off at night?

Question

It sounds like a stupid question, yes I know, but believe it or not I've heard from several people (who don't know each other) who live in the Buffalo/Niagara area that sometimes the dams up river from the falls can redirect so much water, that the falls themselves can sometimes become a trickle!

Is this true?

Answer 1

While they don't "turn it off" at night, the water flow during the evening is substantially less then during the day.



The reason for that is that besides being a tourist attraction, Niagara Falls is also a major power generating facility with plenty of pen stocks and water diversion pipes and tunnels to get the water to the power generating stations (you can see them downstream from the falls) .



At night, because there are less tourists and nobody would really care or even notice, they do tend to divert more water through the power plants and therefore there is less to flow over the falls. They are not "turned off" and are certainly much more then a trickle but they do have less water going over them and more going to the generating stations.

Answer 2

Although there are dams upstream which can affect the flow of water which goes over the Falls, turning them off to "a trickle" would be a violation of a US/Canada treaty. In 1950, a treaty which is commonly known as the "Diversion of Niagara Falls Treaty" was signed. According to the US Niagara Parks System website:



"The treaty requires that during the daylight hours of the tourist season (0800 to 2200 hours local time, April 1st to September 15th and 0800 to 2000 hours local time September 16th to October 31st), the flow over Niagara Falls must not be less than 2832 cubic m/second (cubic m/s) [100,000 cubic ft per second (cfs)]. At all other times, the flow must not be less than 1416 cu m/s (50,000 cfs).



The treaty also specifies that all water in excess of that required for domestic and sanitary purposes, navigation and the Falls flow may be diverted for power generation."

Answer 3

Yes, there is no reason for them to keep it on at night. That would be a waste of electricity. The people that run Niagara falls can't afford to waste money like that.

Answer 4

Good answers here. I will add that many years ago , they did "turn off"" the falls to clear out some large rocks at the bottom of the falls. As I recall, the American side was the only one "shut off" It was quite a sight to see. Have a nice day.

Answer 5

No that's not true I just moved from that area recently and Niagara Falls is completely natural.

Answer 6

We have a plumber down in Nacogdoches, Texas, that could fix it so they could turn it off at night.

Answer 7

they just reduce the flow from 100,000 cubic feet per second to 50,000 cubic feet per second during the tourist season every night after dusk for hydro generation.

Answer 8

No the falls don't trickle.

Answer 9

I would have to see it happening to believe it.

Answer 10

yes the waterfall that pumps the highest volume of water over its edge per second than any other waterfall in the world turns itself off.. at night



are you retarded?

Answer 11

no it doesnt

Answer 12

no