Niagara Falls are a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of the Niagara Gorge, which straddles the border

between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is

Horseshoe Falls, also known as the Canadian Falls, which straddles the international border of the two countries. The

smaller American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls are located within the United States. Bridal Veil Falls is separated from Horseshoe

Falls by Goat Island and from American Falls by Luna Island, both islands located in New York.Formed by the Niagara River,

which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, the combined waterfall has the highest flow rate of any waterfall in North

America with a vertical drop of more than 50 meters (160 ft). During the busiest times of the day, more than 168,000 m

(5.9 million cu ft) of water rushes to the summit of the falls every minute. Horseshoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall

in North America, measured by flow rate. Niagara Falls is famous for its beauty and is a valuable source of hydroelectric power.

Balancing recreational, commercial and industrial uses has been a challenge for the falls' managers since the 19th century.