Reversing Falls

About

The Reversing Falls are a series of rapids on the Saint John River, located in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, where the river runs through a narrow gorge before emptying into the Bay of Fundy. The semi-diurnal tides of the bay force the flow of water to reverse against the prevailing current when the tide is high. However, during the spring freshet, this reversal is often surpassed by the downstream volume of water. The rapids, or "falls,” are created by a series of underwater ledges which roil the water in either direction, causing a significant navigation hazard, despite the water's depth. As a result, vessels wishing to enter or exit from the river must wait for slack tide. The Reversing Falls have also been an important industrial site for over a century. The Canadian Pacific Railway constructed the Reversing Falls Railway Bridge in 1885 and this structure was replaced in 1922; it is currently used by the New Brunswick Southern Railway. The railway bridge crosses the gorge immediately downstream from the falls, parallel to the Reversing Falls Road Bridge. The location of the falls was once home to a foundry and other light industrial operations on the east side of the gorge, while a large pulp mill lies on the west side. J.D. Irving, the company which has operated the pulp mill since purchasing it in the late 1940s, has faced criticism in recent decades for maintai

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