HIGH FALLS ON THE SKOOTAMATTA
High Falls on the Skootamatta River can only be accessed by boat. The put-in is a lovely picnic area/boat launch right on Highway 7, north of Tweed. There is free parking, available washrooms and several picnic tables along the river. The public washrooms are open and maintained from May 15 to Oct 15 (the suggested period for optimal paddling).
From the park, you will travel 1.5 km north on the Skootamatta River to High Falls. The portage is on the west side of the waterfall. Look for the sign on the tree. The portage is in good condition, but is steep. Wear good hiking shoes or boots with good tread. There is also a path on the east side if you would like to explore there as well for a different view and good photo opportunities. There are no guard rails to keep you from falling off the cliff and into the sharp rocks and raging waterfall below. Please be careful. You can walk up the portage in perfect safety as long as you stay well away from the edge and hold onto any accompanying children. There are signs posted at the portage entrances at both the top and bottom of the portage saying, "No camping," which is a tempting rule to break because it is so beautiful there. However, the Quinte Region Conservation only has permission from the private landowners to use this area for portaging and hiking. Thank you for respecting the "No camping" rule for the benefit of all future visitors.
LOGGING REQUIREMENTS
Please email your answers to the CO.
1. Using Geometric Vocabulary, describe this waterfall.
2. Talk about the geomorphology. Do you believe High Falls was cut out by the most recent glacial recession or has the water eroded the rocks here and created this waterfall over the past several thousand years?
3. Does High Falls meet the requirements for being classified as a true "waterfall" ? Why or why not? In order to answer this question you will need to first calculate the following: What is the elevation at the bottom of the falls? What is the elevation at the top of the falls? What is the height of High Falls? Is there a drop of at least 3 metres? Is the overall slope (average over the entire distance of the waterfall) at least 30 degrees?
4. Are there any places along the falls where the slope is greater than 30 degrees, greater than 60 degrees? Are there any vertical drops from ledges (where the water flows down at an 80-90 degree angle)?
5. You do not need to test the waterfall's volume to calculate the Beisel Rating. However, from reading the information in this Earthcache, and from observing the flow of water at the top of High Falls, estimate the International Water Volume Class Level. For example, is it closer to a Class 1, Class 5, or a Class 10 waterfall?
6. Tell what month it was when you visited and describe the water flow (i.e. faster or slower, higher or lower) as compared to the pictures posted by the CO. Your photos are optional, but encouraged.
Geometric Vocabulary
All scientists use specialized vocabulary to clearly describe their observations. Waterfalls can be described by appearance, shape, features, geomorphological formation, speed of flow, water volume, and dimensions.
(For sample pictures see http://worldwaterfalls.com/waterfall_types.php).
For this Earthcache, you will need to use your observational skills, then choose some geometric vocabulary words that describe what you see here. You may need to use a dictionary.
Sample vocabulary words :
plunge, ledge, vertical, chute, gorge, cliff, rapids, cataract, drop, steep, white water, turbulence, submerged ridges, cascade, tiers, step, bedrock, scree, talus, granite, boulders, glaciers, elevation
What is a waterfall ?
A waterfall is simply, any flowing body of water (river, creek), that drops vertically, (flows over the edge of a cliff or down a slope). According to WorldWaterfalls.com a drop of at least 3 metres (approximately 10 feet) or a slope of at least 30 degrees is needed in order for a cascade to be considered a true waterfall.
Two ways to categorize waterfalls
1. Geometrically: a way to talk about waterfalls based on some common features regarding shape, appearance of water flow and geological formations of the land under and around the waterflow; geometric classification can also include the geological processes that created the waterfall (its geomorphology).
2. Using the International Water Volume System (or Beisel's Waterfall System): a logarithmic scale based on how much water is present during the vertical drop of the waterfall, the Beisel Rating is from Class 0.1 to Class 10. Niagara Falls is a Class 10 waterfall. Victoria Falls is a Class 9 waterfall. Angel Falls is Class 7.
Geomorphology of Waterfalls
Erosion plays an important part in the formation of waterfalls. As a stream flows, it carries sediment that erodes the soft bed rock (limestone and sandstone) underneath. Eventually this cuts deeply enough so that only harder rock, such as granite, remains. Consequently, waterfalls develop in places where granite rock has formed cliffs and ledges. Waterfalls also contribute to erosion. Stream velocity increases as it nears a waterfall, which, in turn, increases the amount of erosion. The constant movement of water at the top of a waterfall can flatten rocks at the edge. Over time, the plunge pool at the base gets bigger as rushing water and sediment erode it. Eventually, the area behind the waterfall is worn away, creating cave-like shelters. Other processes that form waterfalls include earthquakes, landslides, glaciers, and volcanoes which can disrupt the land of a stream bed and form cliffs, cracks, faults and changes in elevation.
Information about the Skootamatta River
The Skootamatta River is a river in the Lake Ontario drainage basin in Hastings and Lennox and Addington Counties in Ontario, Canada. The river's name is thought to come from Ojibwa words meaning "burnt shoreline". The Skootamatta River is part of the large Moira River watershed which drains south into Lake Ontario. The river begins at Joeperry Lake in Bon Echo Provincial Park in Addington Highlands, Lennox and Addington County, northwest of Cloyne, at an elevation of 315 metres . It flows south, taking in the right tributary Rainy Creek, and reaches Pearson Lake. The river continues south and empties into Skootamatta Lake at an elevation of 289 metres . The right tributary Killer Creek joins at the lake. It flows south over Skootamatta Dam, continues south and reaches Slave Lake at an elevation of 277 metres . It continues south over a small dam, takes in the right tributary Partridge Creek, and arrives in the community of Flinton. The Skootamatta River then flows over Flinton Dam, heads southwest, passes into Hastings County and takes in the left tributary Flinton Creek at an elevation of 188 metres . The river continues south, takes in the left tributary Little Skootamatta Creek at an elevation of 179 metres , and turns west just north of Highway 7. The river takes in the right tributary Elzevir Creek, heads southwest under the highway at Actinolite and runs parallel to Highway 37. It reaches its mouth at the Moira River, at an elevation of 152 metres, which flows into the Bay of Quinte on Lake Ontario.
Resources :
www.worldwaterfalls.com
http://quinteconservation.ca/site/images/stories/conservation_areas/docs/special/canoe_guide.pdf
The Quinte Conservation's site is an excellent canoe and kayak guide with full colour maps and descriptions for the rivers in the Quinte region including the Skootamatta.
https://archive.org/stream/waterresourcmoira00sibu/WATERRESOURCESOF_00_SNSN_04174_djvu.txt
The site contains a history of recreational use and resource management prior to being recommended as a conservation reserve through Ontario's Living Legacy.
http://files.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/parks-and-protected-areas/mnr00_bcr0078.pdf
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