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Waterfall Ratings
Waterfall Classification
Icons
Naming Conventions
Physical Statistics
Locating nearby waterfalls
Additional Resources
Detailed Information
Pictures
Searching
Browsing
Region and Watershed Maps
Frequently Asked Questions |
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10 Point Scale
This website uses three different ratings to
compare the featured waterfalls to one another.
The first and primary system is a 10 point scale
(1 being worse, 10 being best) based one the
height,
volume, surrounding landscape and the uniqueness
of each waterfall. The greatest influences
on this rating are the height, volume and scenery.
However, since this scale is entirely subjective
and opinionated, I may dock or add points to
any
waterfall for any reason that pops into my mind.
Each rated waterfall has two ratings displayed. The
High Rating is applied when the waterfall in
question is running at peak flow, and the Low
Rating is applied during low flows or drought
conditions.
If the two ratings are the same, the falls remain
consistent all year round.
Visual Magnitude
The second system is the Visual Magnitude Rating.
This system was coined by Greg Plumb, for use
in his books "Waterfalls of Tennessee",
and "A Waterfall Lover's Guide to the Pacific
Northwest". This system uses a logarithmic
scale of 10, based on the waterfall's height,
width, volume and slope, creating an accurate
way to compare any two waterfalls to each other,
despite any and all differences in size or volume.
Each increase of 10 in the rating indicates a
doubling of the impressiveness of the waterfall.
For example, a waterfall with a rating of 90 is
twice as impressive as a rating of 80, and a rating
of 100 is four times as impressive as a rating
of 80. Taller waterfalls, and waterfalls
with a higher volume will have a higher Visual
Magnitude rating. Low volume waterfalls,
or waterfalls with a shallow slope, on the other
hand, have a lower rating, because they don't
have as much force. This rating can be found
in the tan table on the right side of each waterfall's
page (see Physical Statistics).
Beisel Waterfall Rating (BWR)
The final rating is the Beisel Waterfall Rating
(BWR) System. This system was coined by
Richard H. Beisel Jr to be used in a forthcoming
book. This system uses a natural logarithm
of the average volume of water present in the
waterfall in question (in terms of cubic meters
of water) to come up with a rating on a 1-10
scale,
then rounds it up to the nearest whole number
to achieve the class the waterfall falls into.
The BWR is listed first, followed by the Class
category the waterfall is assigned to, within
parenthesis (for example: 4.35 (Class 5)). This
system rewards high-volume waterfalls, and waterfalls
with a
shallower
slope
over more vertical waterfalls (because there
is more square acreage to low-gradient waterfalls,
and hence more volume in the waterfall), and
is best used to compare waterfalls based on
volume,
rather than height or size. Using this
rating solely to compare all waterfalls weighs
unfairly
on waterfalls which are among the best in the
world, but don't have a river-sized volume.
This rating can be found in the tan table on
the right side of each waterfall's page (see Physical
Statistics). |
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Throughout my various expeditions, I've come
to find that even though every waterfall is
totally
unique in it's own way, there seem to be 10 general
forms that a waterfall can assume. While almost
every waterfall could probably be considered
for multiple categories, for the purposes of
this
website, the form listed is the most prevalent
form within the waterfall. For example, if a
stream
breaks into two segmented cascades, the falls
will most likely be considered Segmented, or
if
a waterfall drops in two tiers, but the lowest
tier is segmented into two streams, the falls
would likely be considered Tiered. I've adapted
this system from Greg Plumb's book "A Waterfall
Lover's Guide to the Pacific Northwest".
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| Block |
A waterfall in a Block form occurs over
a wide breadth of the stream. The
waterfall must be wider than it is tall.
A waterfall with this form does not have
to be a solid sheet of water across it's
entire width. |
Cascade |
A waterfall of a Cascade form descends
over, gradually sloping rocks, a series
of small steps in quick succession, or a
rugged sloping surface of some kind.
Cascades can be both gradual and steep. |
| Curtain |
Curtain waterfalls occur along a wide
breadth of stream where the falls must
be taller than it is wide. A waterfall
of this form often becomes narrower in low
discharge periods. |
Fan |
Waterfalls of a Fan form occur when the
breadth of the water in the waterfall
increases during it's decent, causing
the base of the falls to appear much wider
than the top of the falls. |
| Horsetail |
Horsetail waterfalls are characterized
by the constant or semi-constant contact
the water maintains with the bedrock
as it falls. Horsetail waterfalls
can be almost vertical, as well as very
gradual. |
Plunge |
The classic and overly cliched waterfall
form, where the water drops vertically,
losing most, or all contact with the rock
face. This waterfall form has also
been referred to as a "Cataract"
and a "Vertical" form waterfall. |
| Punchbowl |
Punchbowl waterfalls, coined from the
famous Punch Bowl Falls in Oregon, occur
where the stream is constricted to a
narrow breadth and is forcefully shot outward
and downward into a large pool. |
Segmented |
Segmented waterfalls occur where the
stream is broken into two or more channels
before descending over the cliff, causing
multiple falls to occur side by side. |
| Slide |
Similar to a cascade, a Slide type
waterfall
descends a smooth, gradual bedrock
surface.
Slide waterfalls maintain constant contact
with the bedrock, and are often associated
with the granitic family of bedrocks. |
Tiered |
Tiered waterfalls are characterized by
multiple distinct drops in relatively
close succession to one another.
Whether or not a waterfall with two visible
drops counts as a tiered waterfall is up
to the beholder. I typically require
tiers to be visible together and within
a given distance of each other. |
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Immediately below the name of each waterfall's
page, you will find a series of Icons. These
are meant to be used as a quick visual reference
highlighting the defining points and certain characteristics
of each waterfall, such as method of access, whether
the waterfall is photogenic, whether the waterfall
is accessible by the disabled, etc. Most
waterfalls will feature between 3 and 6 icons,
though some may have more or less. Below
is a breakdown of the meaning of each icon. |
Meaning |
Description |
Icon |
Roadside Access |
This waterfall is best seen from the
road, or a few feet off the road on a well
maintained trail accessed from a nearby
road. |
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Rough Road Access |
This waterfall is best seen from a road
best accessed by a high clearance, 4 wheel
drive vehicle, or from a few feet off a
road accessible only to a high clearance,
4 wheel drive vehicle, on a well maintained
trail. |
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Watercraft Access |
This waterfall can only be seen from
a watercraft of some sort. Details are noted
on each page. |
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Trail Access |
This waterfall is accessed by a developed
or maintained trail of some sort.
The color of the icon defines the difficulty
of the hike (see
below). |
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Off-Trail Access |
This waterfall is accessed by some means
of foot travel for which there is no trail
or developed route. The color of
the icon defines the difficulty of
the bushwhack
(see below). |
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Best of the Northwest |
This waterfall is one of the best waterfalls
in the Pacific Northwest. See Best
of the Northwest for a list of all waterfalls
with this status. |
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Photogenic |
This waterfall has photogenic qualities
that encourage photography. Spending time
at said waterfall is recommended. |
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Officially Named
Falls |
The name displayed for this waterfall
is the official name of the falls.
This icon will be displayed for waterfalls
with both Official and Historical naming
conventions (see below). |
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Camping Nearby |
A developed campground is located within
a 1 mile radius of the waterfall. |
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Kayakable |
This waterfall can either be run in a
kayak, or there are notes addressed to kayakers
about said waterfall. |
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Handicap Accessible |
This waterfall is accessible to those
in wheelchairs. |
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Not Recommended |
Though the waterfall itself may be very
impressive, accessing this waterfall is
strongly discouraged because of dangerous
conditions, such as cliffs, crumbly slopes,
and river fords. Further details will
be described for each waterfall this applies
to. |
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Ease |
Description |
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Easy |
A hike of no more than 1 mile, with
little or no elevation change present.
A short bushwhack, with little or no brush,
of less than 1/4 mile is required. |
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Moderate |
A hike of no more than 5 miles (one
way), with moderate elevation changes
present.
A bushwhack through moderate brush, or
for no more than 1 mile, is required. |
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Difficult |
A hike of over 5 miles (one way), or
severe elevation change (over 3000 feet)
is present. A bushwhack of over 1
mile, through thick brush, or over rough
terrain, is required. |
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For each waterfall, the listed name of said
waterfall could have any of four origins.
This information can be found on the top of the
tan information table, on the right side of the
screen. If the naming convention is unknown,
the field will be either blank, or the default
"unofficial" will be displayed. |
| Official |
The
name of the waterfall is recognized and
documented by a government entity of some
sort. |
| Community |
The
name of the waterfall is not recognized
by the government, but is used through the
outdoor community as such. |
| Historical |
The
name of the waterfall has fallen out of
modern use. Most historical names
are official, but may not be recognized
as such. |
| Unofficial |
The name of the
waterfall is has been applied by an individual,
and is temporary, and solely used to identify
the waterfall. |
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Additionally, if the waterfall has any known
aliases, or formerly used names, they will be
listed immediately below the Naming Convention.
Usually, the most common names will be listed
first. |
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On the left side of each waterfall's page,
you'll see a tan table of information about the
waterfall in question. This is the basic overview
of the waterfall's characteristics. Using this
table will help to determine whether you want
to spend time investigating the waterfall in question,
what times of year are best to visit, etc. |
| Height |
This is the
height of the waterfall, listed in feet. Often,
this is an estimate. |
| Width |
This is the width of the
waterfall, listed in feet. Often, this is
an estimate. |
# of Drops |
The total number of drops
which make up the waterfall. If the
falls aren't Tiered, this will be "1". |
Magnitude |
The Visual Magnitude Rating
assigned to the waterfall. If blank,
no rating has been calculated. See Ratings
for more. |
BWR |
The Beisel Waterfall Rating
assigned to the waterfall. If blank,
no rating has been calculated. See Ratings
for more. |
| Form |
The most prevalent form
the waterfall takes (see Forms above) |
| Stream |
The name of the watercourse
the waterfall occurs along. |
| Volume |
A generalized classification
of the amount of water present going over
the falls (very small, small, medium, large,
very large). |
| Source |
The source of the stream
the falls occur along. |
Seasonality |
Identifies whether the
falls flow year long (perennial) or dry
out
at some point (seasonal). |
| Best
Flows |
Best time of year to see
the falls. If seasonal, the months which
it flows are noted. If "Year Round"
is displayed, it is assumed that the falls
may be frozen and / or inaccessible in the
winter months. |
| Access |
Primary means of reaching
the waterfall in question (see above). |
| Difficulty |
Difficulty of access to
the waterfall (see above) |
| Swimming |
Whether or not the area
immediately around the falls boasts swimming
holes. Yes / No. |
| Kayaking |
Whether the falls in question
are acceptable for kayaking over. Yes / No. |
| Latitude |
The Latitude, in decimal
degrees (dd.ddddd) of the waterfall. |
| Longitude |
The Longitude, in decimal
degrees (ddd.ddddd) of the waterfall. |
| Map |
USGS quadrangle the waterfall
in question is located on. Links to
Topographic maps and Aerial Photographs may
be provided. |
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Below the information detailing the physical
characteristics and location of each waterfall
is a section which outlines nearby waterfalls. In
this section, there are several ways to find
other waterfalls which maybe in the area.
Listed first will be the five closest waterfalls,
in terms of linear distance. The actual distance
away these five falls are situated at is not shown. Below
the five closest is a link which leads to an expanded
search along similar lines - this time returning
the 25 closest waterfalls. The distance to
the nearby waterfalls is shown on this page.
Further below are options to search for waterfalls
in the same geographical area, same county and
the greater watershed which the waterfall occurs
within. The
geographical area the waterfall falls within is
arbitrarily chosen by me, and may not necessarily
represent all the nearby waterfalls. Searching
for waterfalls within the same County will return
all waterfalls within that county, no matter the
distance. Searching for all waterfalls within
the greater Watershed will return similar results.
The final method of locating nearby waterfalls
is using the drop down menu at the bottom of
this section. You can specify a distance
from the current waterfall to search for other
nearby waterfalls - at distances of 1/4, 1/2,
1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 miles. |
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At the bottom of the tan column on the right
side of each waterfall's page is a section for
Additional Resources. This area is meant
to provide access to other tools on the internet
which might yield additional activities or attractions
in the areas surrounding any given waterfall.
Currently, there are three:
- Google the name of the waterfall in question
- Search for Geocaches near the waterfall in
question
- Search for an entry for this waterfall on
the World Waterfall Database
As further resources can be found, they will
be added. Please do not send me emails asking
to have your website listed under this section
for promotional purposes. |
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Detailed information, if available, will be
displayed beneath the pictures and thumbnails
for a given waterfall. The first paragraph
presented is a detailed description of the waterfall
in question, which may include a breakdown of
the height and / or configuration of the falls,
facts about the waterfall, and any recent news
pertaining to the waterfall. The second
paragraph provides a history of the waterfall
and its name, if anything is known. Directions
to the waterfall, any tips and pointers related
to photographing the specific waterfall in question,
and notes for Whitewater Kayakers who are interested
in the river the waterfall in question is located
on will follow in the final three paragraphs.
There is no guarantee that all five sections will
be populated with data, but if a waterfall has
a rating, there should be Information and Directions
available.
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Below the blue bar containing the Waterfall's
name and any pertaining Icons is where any pictures
of the waterfall in question will be displayed.
If there are multiple pictures available
for a certain waterfall, thumbnails for all the
available pictures will be displayed below the
caption for the current picture. To switch
to another picture, simply click on the thumbnail,
and the new picture will load. To return
to the original, click on the thumbnail for the
original picture. If there is only one picture
available, thumbnails will not be displayed.
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There are two search tools available on this
website. The Quick Search box, found
on the left side of the home page, searches only
for waterfalls with matching names. The Search
Page, found by going to the Database Tab, then
clicking on Search Database, can search everything
else. There are two methods of searching
using this tool: Names and Keywords Search, or
Specific Full Text Search.
Using the Names
and Keywords method, the results will tend to
focus on the names of the waterfall and stream. This
method is best for searching for the name of a
waterfall, the name of a stream, or the name of
a nearby area or landmark. This method should
be used especially if you want to search for a
common name, such as "Falls Creek Falls" or "Salmon
Falls", as these terms will return most records
in the database using the Full Text Method.
Using
the Full Text method, specific, or more accurately,
more obscure phrases or words can be searched
for. Using
the Full Text method can, however, return all
too many results if the search terms are too
broad. As stated above, don't search for
the name of a waterfall using this method unless
it is very specific. If the results of your
search are too broad using this method, try placing
your search phrase in quote marks before searching. |
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Browsing the database is as straight forward
as before. Click on the Browse Database
link under the "Database" tab on the navigation
bar to see all the entries to the database. Further,
selecting any option under any of the state tabs
will return only waterfalls within those regions. A
secondary method of browsing is found on each
waterfall's page. At the top of the page
is a cascading link chain, starting from Home
and ending with the Waterfall's name. Clicking
on any of the hyperlinked options in that cascade
will return waterfalls in that particular area. For
example, clicking on "OR" will return waterfalls
in Oregon, and clicking on "Santiam River Watershed"
will return waterfalls within that watershed. See
below for more information about Regions and
Watersheds.
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As with previous versions of this website,
you can browse for waterfalls based on Geographical
Regions by utilizing the maps found on this page. New
to this version, however, is a second map based
on the region's watersheds. Clicking on any
of the given watersheds will return only waterfalls
within that drainage area. Further, the current
maps require Macromedia Flash to be installed for
your browser. If you do not have Flash installed,
you can download
it here. Flash is required
to use the Watershed Map. There is a non-Flash
version of the Regions map available here.
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