Editing Reversing Falls (section)

{{short description|Series of rapids on the Saint John River in Canada}}
{{hatnote|For a similar feature in [[Pembroke, Maine]], see [[Reversing Falls Park]].}}
[[File:June 2009 Reversing Falls Bridge.jpg|thumb|
The Reversing Falls in New Brunswick
]]
The '''Reversing Falls''' are a series of rapids on the [[Saint John River (New Brunswick)|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 semidiurnal [[tide]]s 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.new-brunswick.net/Saint_John/reversingfalls/reversing.html|title=Reversing Falls, Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada|access-date=2008-09-27}}</ref>  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<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0009684 |title=Structurae - Reversing Falls Railway Bridge (1885) |access-date=2008-09-27}}</ref> and this structure was replaced in 1922;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.structurae.de/structures/data/index.cfm?id=s0007228 |title=Structurae - Saint John Bridge (1922) |access-date=2008-09-27}}</ref> 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 Bridge|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 and paper|pulp]] mill lies on the west side.  [[J.D. Irving Limited|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 maintaining the facility at what is viewed as one of Saint John's prime tourism locations. This criticism became most pronounced during the 1980s and 1990s when the city government developed Fallsview Park on the former industrial foundry lands on the east side of the gorge. The Falls were even given the dubious distinction by one publication of being among the worst tourist attractions in the world.<ref>Bruce Felton and Mark Fowler, ''Felton & Fowler's Best, Worst, and Most Unusual'', Random House, 1985, p. 270</ref>

During the late 1990s, a tourist business was established, offering [[jet boat]] rides on the river in the vicinity of the falls; however, the boats did not operate in the roughest areas, which experience a significant  drop in water level over a very short distance. The business closed at the end of the 2013 season after 19 years.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/reversing-falls-jet-boat-owner-bailing-out-1.1867666|title=Reversing Falls jet boat owner bailing out|work=CBC News|access-date=2017-06-11|language=en}}</ref>  The operators typically stayed in the choppy waters immediately downstream and attempted to soak passengers by driving through small whirlpools at the base of the railway bridge.  Another more recent development at the Reversing Falls has been its growing use as a [[whitewater kayaking]] location, made unique by the changes in the formation of the rapids during incoming or outgoing tides.<ref>{{cite web|title=Thrills and Chills|url=http://new-brunswick.net/Saint_John/reversingfalls/reversing1.html|website=Saint John New Brunswick|access-date=May 30, 2016}}</ref> 
{{coord|45|15|37|N|66|05|24|W |region:CA-ON_type:city_source:CGNDB_scale:25000|display=title}}

<gallery>
ReversingFalls inbound.jpg|The falls flowing inbound
ReversingFalls slack.jpg|The falls slack, 38 minutes after the previous picture was taken
ReversingFalls outbound.jpg|The falls flowing outbound, 15 minutes after the slack picture was taken, and 53 minutes after the first of the series was taken
</gallery>