Down to business
Even though witnessing the dried landscape of Niagara Falls was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the scientists and engineers didn’t have much time to dawdle. The longer they plugged up the river, the more water would go flowing down Horseshoe Falls. Blocking water’s natural route could lead to disasters, so they had to work quick.
After stopping the flowing river, scientists could see which parts of the falls were most prone to erosion in the near future. They fortified certain areas of the falls to prevent rocks from becoming dislodged, hoping that this would help preserve the falls for many years to come.