The Niagara River is a waterway which flows north and northwest for approximately 32 miles from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It varies from about 110 to 2200 yards wide. There are rapids before and after the Falls, and a large whirlpool. Depths vary from less than 30 feet in the Upper River, to shallow rapids in the Lower River, to maximum depths of 200 feet in the gorge.
Flow rates vary from a few miles per hour to very fast in the rapids.
The shoreline in some areas is industrially developed, but in other parts it is forested or open. There are a number of parks on both country borders. The river also hosts a remarkable diversity and abundance of waterfowl. The habitats along the river edge support an exceptional diversity of migratory songbirds during spring and fall migrations. The few remaining marshes, such as that at Buckhorn Island State Park, have supported breeding Least Bitterns, Northern Harriers, and Sedge Wrens.