Operation “Stop the Fall”
The International Joint Commission is a group of authoritative bodies from both Canada and the United States. They are responsible for the care and protection of the shared waterfall, so as the concern grew for the residents of New York, they were contacted.
Operation Stop The Fall
The engineers and other team workers made plans, and in the summer of 1969, they unfolded the idea to “stop the falls” temporarily in a bid to remove the rocks at the bottom of the cataract. But was this plan a successful one? Let’s dig in to find out…
Building A Cofferdam
The engineers executed their plans to build a cofferdam that saw the Niagara Falls flowing through the mainland and Goat Island. The blockage consisted of over 27,000 tons of rocks and earth, which were transported to the site by over 1,200 trucks.
Building A Cofferdam
The structure’s total was about 600 feet (182.88 meters). But was this successful enough to stop the waters they wanted and avoid any flooding between the Bridal Veil and Horseshoe Falls in what is known as Goat Island?
