Name of Waterfall

Khone, Chutes de

GPS Coordinates (Approximate)

XW33+X4 Khon Tai, Laos

Location

XW33+X4 Khon Tai, Laos

Description

Khone Falls is a series of falls and rapids where the Mekong River splits into seven large channels, as well as hundreds of smaller ones, and cascades 69 feet over a series of falls and rapids that when measured from one edge to the other stretch 10 kilometers in width, making it the widest waterfall on the planet. Due to the immense volume of the Mekong River, the amount each channel of the river drops varies. The most defined parts of the waterfall drop about 45 feet at about a 60 degree angle, but other parts of the river, including the largest channel, appear more like a series of rapids. One of the smallest channels doesn't appear to even have any discernable rapids at all - rather it makes a slow and steady descent as it winds down the escarpment. In monsoon season, the flooding river swallows the waterfall entirely, leaving nothing more than a rough stretch of waves and riffles.

Other Names

['Khone Falls']

Magnitude

73.87

Absolute Magnitude

89.64

IWC Rating (International Waterfall Classification)

10

Total Height (ft)

69

Tallest Drop

69

Number of Drops

1

Average Width

35376

Maximum Width

42500

Average High Volume (Cubic ft per second)

410,000 cfs (11 months)

Average Low Volume (Cubic ft per second)

1 cfs (1 months)

Pitch

25 degrees

Run (ft)

350

Watershed or Feeder Stream

Mekong River Mekong River