The pictures above were taken at Cataract Falls at the beginning of February. Indiana has had its fair share of rain, ice, and snow this winter and nowhere was that more apparent than the Falls.
If you look back to the pictures I took of the upper and lower falls in October, the water levels have significantly risen! The clear, slow moving river that barely trickled over the falls had regained its voice and now crashed over them in a muddy majestic fury! It was truly a wonder to behold. Nowhere could be seen the amazing limestone bed formations that we saw and walked on during our earlier trip. The river appeared to have risen by approximately 3-4 feet in the flat areas and oxbows between the falls.
The lower falls, that had a drop of maybe 25-30 feet in October, had been the most visibly reduced, appearing now to be only a few feet tall, completely hiding the actual depth of the pool. A large stone slab that had fallen along the cliff wall opposite the lower falls was now vitually impossible to see except a small triangle of stone poking up out of the water. What would account for this change of depth? My guess would be the reservoir located further downstream was backing up due to the extra water from this season's runoff.
The upper falls, which is closest to the covered bridge and the entrance of the park, were still quite visible, but where once had been pathways that children could follow to get directly behind the falls, deep water prevailed. The water was also the most turbulent here, as it had further to fall than at the lower falls location. It was amazing how much the landscape had changed!
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