Dickerson Falls
Dickerson Falls is the largest and uppermost of three small waterfalls known to exist along Dickerson Creek just outside of Bremerton. The trail to the falls terminates between the two steps, so views of the lower falls are harder to come by during periods of heavier flow. Immediately above the falls is a small dam, presumably the remnants of an old diversion system for water supply for the neighboring town(s).
Dickerson Creek is a relatively small stream, draining from low elevation forest and several areas of marshland. Though the Kitsap Peninsula does receive significant precipitation during the winter months, the drainage area of approximately 1.3 square miles isn't enough to sustain a healthy flow in the creek year round. By late spring the volume of the creek will be considerably reduced, and by mid summer it will likely be just a trickle. The best time to visit is during the winter.
This waterfall is located within the privately owned Ueland Tree Farm, the owners of which openly grant and welcome public visitation, and have constructed a trail to the falls. Please be respectful of the land and leave it in better condition than you found it to help ensure continued public access.
Waterfalls are an excellent place to view the erosional power of rivers and streams for several of their features. Within a wastercourse’s time scale, a waterfall is a temporary feature that is eventually worn away. The rapidity of erosion depends on the height of a given waterfall, its volume of flow, the type and structure of rocks involved, and other factors.
Even in the absence of entrained rock debris, which serve as an erosive tool of rivers, the energy available for erosion at the base of a waterfall is great. One of the characteristic features associated with waterfalls of any great magnitude, with respect to volume of flow as well as to height, is the presence of a plunge pool - a basin that is scoured out of the river channel beneath the falling water. In some instances the depth of a plunge pool may nearly equal the height of the cliff causing the falls. Plunge pools eventually cause the collapse of the cliff face and the retreat of the waterfall.
Logging This Earth Cache
Please send me your answers to the following questions before logging this cache. (Answers can be sent through the message center):
1. Estimate the height of the upper tier of the waterfall.
2. Do you notice any undercutting at the base of this tier?
3. Is the waterfall a freefall or does it "slide" down the rock? What impact do you think this has on the size of the plunge pool?
4. Optional: Post a picture of yourself or your group with the falls in the background.
Shout out to my friend, Francine, who first brought me to Dickerson Falls and congrats to Zannaski on the FTF! Cache on! 🎶🐰
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