Niagara Gorge
Encyclopedia
Niagara Gorge is a 11 km (6.8 mi) gorge carved by the Niagara River
along the US-Canadian border in New York
and Ontario
. As Niagara Falls
recedes upstream toward Lake Erie
, the river has gouged the hard dolomitic limestone
of the Niagara escarpment
to form the gorge. The gorge begins at the base of Niagara Falls and ends near Queenston, Ontario
where the escarpment ends (and the falls began their long journey southward toward Lake Erie).
The force of the river current in the gorge is one of the most powerful in the world. It has been whitewater kayaked by world class experts on isolated occasions, but has generally been illegal to run due to lethal hazards if things go wrong.
Niagara River
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...
along the US-Canadian border in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. As Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
recedes upstream toward Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
, the river has gouged the hard dolomitic limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
of the Niagara escarpment
Niagara Escarpment
The Niagara Escarpment is a long escarpment, or cuesta, in the United States and Canada that runs westward from New York State, through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois...
to form the gorge. The gorge begins at the base of Niagara Falls and ends near Queenston, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
where the escarpment ends (and the falls began their long journey southward toward Lake Erie).
The force of the river current in the gorge is one of the most powerful in the world. It has been whitewater kayaked by world class experts on isolated occasions, but has generally been illegal to run due to lethal hazards if things go wrong.