# Travel >> Transportation >> Ferries

Niagara River Flow: 2,400 m³/s Average, 22 km/h at Falls, Seasonal Extremes

The Niagara River — 58 km (36 mi) connecting Lake Erie to Lake Ontario — carries the entire Great Lakes outflow (except Chicago diversion). Its hydraulics are among Earth's most studied.

Flow Metrics

Metric	Value	Context
Average flow	2,400 m³/s (85,000 ft³/s)	~1/5 of Mississippi at mouth
Current at Falls	~22 km/h (14 mph)	Velocity over crest; varies by section
Peak flow (spring)	6,000 m³/s (212,000 ft³/s)	Snowmelt + rain; regulated by control works
Minimum flow (winter)	1,400 m³/s (50,000 ft³/s)	Treaty-mandated (1950 Niagara Treaty)
Horseshoe Falls share	90%	Canadian side; American Falls 10%

Regulation and Power

International Niagara Control Works (1954) — adjustable gates above falls regulate flow per 1950 Treaty (min. 2,832 m³/s day, 1,416 m³/s night tourist season; 1,416 m³/s off-season).
Power diversion: Sir Adam Beck (ON) and Robert Moses (NY) plants divert ~50–75% of flow via tunnels — 4.4 GW combined capacity.
Welland Canal bypasses river for shipping (8 locks, 99 m lift).

Hydraulic Sections

Upper Niagara (Lake Erie to Falls): Shallow, swift, island-braided — 35 km, 15 km/h avg.
Falls: Horseshoe (57 m drop, 790 m crest), American (21–34 m, 320 m), Bridal Veil (24 m, 15 m).
Lower Niagara (Gorge): Deep (60 m), narrow, turbulent — 11 km to Lake Ontario. Class V-VI rapids, whirlpool.

Climate Change Signal

Great Lakes levels fluctuating (record highs 2019–20, lows 2013). Earlier snowmelt, more intense rain events alter hydrograph. Treaty review (2024+) may adjust flow rules for ecosystem resilience.

Bixby Canyon Bridge: The $200,000 Coastal Span — Not "Bixby Creek"

River Dee Bore at Saltney Ferry: No Known Occurrence

Ferries