WHY IS THE WATER AT THE EDGE OF THE FALLS A BLUEISH-GREEN COLOUR? By GEORGE BAILEY
2011-05-25 15:47:53
5 comments Latest by That addresses several of my concerns acltulay. 07/11/11 00:46:51 EDT
This is a question I’ve been asked a number of times. Here’s the answer.
Although the colour is naturally blueish-green (you can see it clearly at the brink of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls) it does change when inclement weather churns up the sediment in the water. After a storm the water becomes a murky brown caused by the sediment being stirred up. Often this occurs even before a storm. Old timers are recorded as being able to determine if the weather would turn bad by simply looking at the colour of the water.
The bluish-green colour is caused by two sources: sunlight refraction on the water and microscopic plants such as plankton and algae in the water.
Even when the weather isn’t the best at Niagara Falls there’s always lots of indoor attractions like the Butterfly Conservatory, and Birds of Prey to explore year-round.
