Niagara Falls Gate Keeper

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18 gates open and close to help regulate the flow of water over Niagara Falls. Each gate is run by two pistons and it is all controlled in a tower on the Canadian side of the Niagara river.

“The control on the Niagara Falls is down to the nearest half an inch or centimetre on the downstream side.” Peter Kowalski, Niagara River control centre.

Peter Kowalski is in charge of the Niagara River Control Centre. The centre which is operated by Ontario Power Generation is staffed 24 /7 and thanks to a number of cameras and computers Kowalski and his team can make decisions on the flow over the falls, hydropower production and ice management.

The International Niagara control dam stretches over 2 000 feet. It was built back in 1957, 7 years after the Niagara River water diversion treaty was signed. There are requirements in the treaty between Canada and the U.S.to what the minimal flows are. During tourist hours from April to October, more than 2. 8 million litres of water per second drops over the falls. The river can generate nearly 5 million kilowatts of power, which is shared between the two countries.

Even after 18 years at the helm of the falls, Kowalski is still in awe.
“It is something you never get tired of. You never get tired of seeing natures wonder and how beautiful it is.”