Description of the attraction
Hogs Back Falls is a series of artificial waterfalls on the Rideau River. The falls are located at the point where the Rideau River separates from the channel of the same name, north of Muni Bay. Officially, the waterfalls bear the name - "The Falls of the Prince of Wales", but it is practically not used.
At the beginning of the 19th century, before the Rideau Canal was built, there was a series of river rapids created by nature, known as the Three Rocks Rapids, about 600 m long and 1.8 m high. you could freely go on a canoe without a drag. The first written mentions of this place called "Hogs Back" date back to 1827, and belong to the civil engineer John McTaggart.
In the course of work on the project of the Rideau Canal, which was supposed to connect the Ottawa River with Lake Ontario, his chief engineer John Bye initiated the construction of a dam at this very place, with the help of which, in fact, it was planned to divert water from the Rideau River into the Rideau Canal. The idea was very promising, but during the construction process a number of difficulties arose that were not taken into account initially. As a result, the dam collapsed three times during construction. Nevertheless, all technological issues were resolved, and by 1831 the construction of the dam was completed. The water level in the Rideau River was raised by 12.5 m. A specially equipped spillway, through which water began to flow into the canal, provided the natural flow of the Rideau River and maximally secured these regions from the possible consequences of the spring flood. After the completion of all the work, the Hogs Back waterfalls acquired their modern look.
