Name of Waterfall

Spectacle Basin Falls

Description

Spectacle Lake is fed by two major streams, each originating in the smaller lakes situated in the rocky terrain just east of the Cascade Crest. The southern of the two flows from Glacier Lake through a meadowy glade and then cascades down a step in the valley in two significant steps. The upper step features a steep 68 foot cascade which should probably be considered as a waterfall but because it's difficult to view we couldn't fully discern its qualifications. Shortly downstream the stream bends almost 90 degrees to the right and slides down a 67 foot horsetail-type waterfall into another meadow-filled basin where several smaller streams join and then shortly flow into the western side of Spectacle Lake.
While there is no permanent snow pack in the basin which feeds into Glacier Lake, and the solid bedrock which composes the majority of the basin, there are large swaths of boulder fields which allow annual snow melt (of which there is generally quite a lot) to percolate into seeps that feed into the lake year round, ensuring a consistent flow exiting the lake and falling down the falls throughout the year. Because this waterfall is situated quite high up in the Cascades, it will only be accessible for approximately 4 months out of the year - roughly from July when the snow melts to the end of October or whenever significant snow begins to fall in the Cascades again.

Other Names

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Magnitude

13.78

Absolute Magnitude

18.94

IWC Rating (International Waterfall Classification)

0.44

Total Height (ft)

67

Tallest Drop

67

Number of Drops

1

Average Width

5

Maximum Width

10

Average High Volume (Cubic ft per second)

15 cfs (8 months)

Average Low Volume (Cubic ft per second)

5 cfs (4 months)

Pitch

65 degrees

Run (ft)

100

Watershed or Feeder Stream

Yakima River