Editing Horseshoe Falls

{{Other uses|Horseshoe Falls (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2016}}
{{short description|Largest portion of Niagara Falls on the United States–Canada border}}
{{Infobox waterfall
| name           = Horseshoe Falls
| alt_name       = 
| photo          = Aerial view of the Canadian Falls (Horseshoe Falls) and the Hornblower Niagara Cruises boat; Niagara Falls.JPG
| photo_width    = 275
| photo_caption  = 
| map            = 
| map_width      = 
| coordinates    = {{coord|43.077305|N|79.07562|W|format=dms|display=it}}
| coords_ref     = 
| location       = Border of [[Ontario]], Canada, and [[New York (state)|New York]], United States. Canada to the right in the photo.
| height         = {{convert|167|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="world">{{cite web|title=Niagara Falls|url=http://www.worldwaterfalldatabase.com/waterfall/Niagara-Falls-106/|website=World Waterfalls Database|access-date=28 January 2017}}</ref>
| width          = {{convert|2700|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="world" />
| average_width  = 
| run            = 
| watercourse    = [[Niagara River]]
| type           = Cataract
}}

'''Horseshoe Falls''' is the largest of the three waterfalls that collectively form [[Niagara Falls]] on the [[Niagara River]] along the [[Canada–United States border]]. Approximately 90% of the Niagara River, after diversions for [[Hydroelectricity|hydropower generation]], flows over Horseshoe Falls. The remaining 10% flows over [[American Falls]] and [[Bridal Veil Falls (Niagara Falls)|Bridal Veil Falls]]. It is located between [[Terrapin Point]] on [[Goat Island (New York)|Goat Island]] in the [[United States|US]] state of [[New York (state)|New York]], and [[Table Rock, Niagara Falls|Table Rock]] in the [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Canadian province]] of [[Ontario]].<ref name="1911hearings">"The international boundary line may pass through the Horseshoe Falls just beyond Terrapin Tower Point, so that the United States are not entitled to as large a portion as Canada of the Horseshoe Falls, which is admittedly not all Canadian." Statement of Mr. J Boardman Scovell. ''Preservation of Niagara Falls: hearings on the subject of H.R. 26688, Sixty-first Congress, second session, relating to the control and regulation of the waters of Niagara River and the preservation of Niagara Falls, held before the Committee on Rivers and Harbors of the House of Representatives.'' U.S. G.P.O., 1911</ref> These falls are also referred to as the '''Canadian Falls'''.<ref> {{cite web |url= http://www.infoniagara.com/attractions/canadian_falls/ |publisher= Info Niagara |title= Canadian Falls |date= 2021 }} </ref><ref> {{cite book |chapter= Niagara Falls (Waterfalls) |title= The Canadian Encyclopedia |url= https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/niagara-falls#recommended |date= 22 April 2013 }} </ref>

==International border==
[[File:Niagara-boundary-1819.jpg|right|thumb|1819 Boundary Commission map of the International Boundary Line cutting through Horseshoe Falls]]

When the boundary line between the United States and Canada was determined in 1819, based on the [[Treaty of Ghent]], the northeastern end of the Horseshoe Falls was in [[New York (state)|New York]], United States, flowing around the Terrapin Rocks, which were once connected to [[Goat Island (New York)|Goat Island]] by a series of bridges. In 1955, the area between the rocks and Goat Island was filled in, creating [[Terrapin Point]].<ref name=berton>{{cite book |last= Berton |first= Pierre |title= Niagara: A History of the Falls |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=P_Rr06A2H6UC&pg=PA20 |access-date= December 1, 2010 |year= 2009 |publisher= SUNY Press |isbn= 978-1-4384-2928-1 |pages=20–21}}</ref> In the early 1980s the [[United States Army Corps of Engineers]] filled in more land and built diversion dams and retaining walls to force the water away from Terrapin Point. Altogether, {{convert|400|ft|m|abbr=on}} of the Horseshoe Falls was eliminated. Due to erosion, the Falls will continue to move in relation to the boundary line in the future, possibly altering territorial boundaries between the two countries.

The official national maps for both Canada and the United States indicate that a smaller portion of the Horseshoe Falls currently is located within the United States.<ref>{{cite web | title = The Atlas of Canada | date = September 12, 2016 | publisher = Government of Canada |url=http://atlas.gc.ca/toporama/en/index.html?id=map1&extent=1317001.3341982635,-501305.9605510465,1318807.9128114209,-500353.4586460427&legend=762eb7ed-0001-242f-6fcf-af08f5605eb1,0,0,1;e5511402-0002-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,0,0.7;cc7fde4c-0003-1cf2-8358-7ca86eefb13c,0,0,1;762eb7ed-cccc-242f-6fcf-af08f5605eb1,0,1,1;8a57b0ba-c004-f03d-7cd4-b3d9b35a8b83,0,0,1;4118b52e-66fe-6b4d-b826-a8f309338f76,0,0,1;e5511402-0029-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7dg,0,0,1;e5511402-0029-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,1,1;e5511402-0028-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,0,1;e5511402-0628-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,1,1;e5511402-0528-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,1,1;8a9bb0ab-0005-32b1-6715-be42194945aa,0,0,1;e5511402-0027-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,1,1;e5511402-0026-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,1,1;e5511402-0025-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,1,1;8a9bb0ab-0021-32b1-6715-be42194945aa,0,1,1;e5511402-0023-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,1,1;e5511402-0022-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,1,1;8a9bb0ab-0018-32b1-6715-be42194945aa,0,1,1;e5511402-0020-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,1,1;e5511402-0019-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,1,1;8a9bb0ab-0014-32b1-6715-be42194945aa,0,1,1;e5511402-0017-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,1,1;e5511402-0016-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,1,1;e5511402-0015-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,1,1;8a9bb0ab-0010-32b1-6715-be42194945aa,0,1,1;e5511402-0013-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,1,1;e5511402-0012-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,1,1;e5511402-0011-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7de,0,1,1;e5511402-0011-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,1,1;e5511402-0009-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,1,1;e5511402-0007-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,1,1;e5511402-0004-5cbe-0d3c-f537c612b7df,0,1,1 | access-date = February 19, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = National Map of the United States | publisher = United States Geological Survey | url = https://viewer.nationalmap.gov/basic/?basemap=b1&category=nbd,ned,nedsrc,histtopo,nhd,hro,naip,nbdmi,gnis,nlcd,smallscale,nsd,vectorcmb,ntd,ustopo,woodland&q=&zoom=17&bbox=-79.07926798,43.07932680,-79.07132864,43.08171686&preview=&avail=&refpoly= | access-date = February 19, 2017}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Canadian Falls, Niagara Falls (470655) (9450082470).jpg|Overview
File:15 23 1033 niagara.jpg|Horseshoe Falls at night
File:Horseshoe Falls, viewed from Table Rock Centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario.jpg|Horseshoe Falls, viewed from [[Table Rock Welcome Centre|Table Rock Centre]] in [[Niagara Falls, Ontario]]
File:Behind Horseshoe Falls from the Canadian side.jpg|alt=from a platform behind the falls.|View from beside and behind Horseshoe Falls
File:Horseshoe Falls 2017.ogg|Horseshoe Falls, viewed from the ''[[Maid of the Mist]]'' tour boat
File:Horseshoefallsonel.jpg|A view of Horseshoe Falls with the Canadian flag at night
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[List of waterfalls]]
* [[List of waterfalls of Canada]]
* [[Niagara Parks Commission]]
* [[American Falls]]
* [[Bridal Veil Falls (Niagara Falls)]]
* [[Iroquois mythology#=Hé-no|Iroquois mythology]]

==References==
{{commons category|Horseshoe Falls}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Niagara Falls}}

[[Category:Niagara Falls]]
[[Category:Waterfalls of Ontario]]
[[Category:Waterfalls of New York (state)]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Niagara Falls, Ontario]]
[[Category:Block waterfalls]]
[[Category:Landforms of Niagara County, New York]]
[[Category:Protected areas of Niagara County, New York]]
[[Category:Plunge waterfalls]]
[[Category:Niagara Falls State Park]]