Name of Waterfall

Beaver Brook Falls

Description

From the center of the town of Colebrook, take Route 145 north for about 2.4 miles to the roadside park where the falls can be seen across a grassy picnic area. A short boardwalk leads down from the road to a viewing area at the base of the falls.Though not of considerable volume by any measure, Beaver Brook creates one of New Hampshire's best waterfalls as it stair steps down this 112-foot tall waterfall north of Colebrook. The falls are made up of three distinct tiers, one after another. The upper tier is a sliding cascade of perhaps 15 feet which is only visible from near the parking area. The main part of the falls then spreads out in a 50-foot tall veiling display which extends to as much as 60 feet in width depending on the amount of water in the creek, splitting into hundreds of individual dripping rivulets down a cliff coated in mossy dreadlocks. The stream then immediately gathers and cascades another 50 feet over the final tier, but in a way that the water is channeled to the left along sloping bedrock which partially prevents a classic stair-step view from head-on being possible.
Beaver Brook is not a stream of statue as mentioned previously. The falls are presentable all year long, but the volume of water is greatly reduced during the summer and autumn months without prolonged rain fall. In some ways though this is a great benefit to the presentation of the falls. The main middle tier of the falls is considerably more scenic with a reduced flow, though too significant a reduction and the dribbling water starts to get lost amid the cliff face. During the spring freshet however the falls take on an entirely different character, pounding down the cliff face in a roaring mass of spray which doesn't lend to close up vistas very well at all - fortunately the roadside views are more than adequate.

Other Names

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Magnitude

10.63

IWC Rating (International Waterfall Classification)

0.33

Total Height (ft)

112

Number of Drops

3

Average Width

35

Maximum Width

60

Average High Volume (Cubic ft per second)

10 cfs (5 months)

Average Low Volume (Cubic ft per second)

1 cfs (7 months)

Pitch

80 degrees

Run (ft)

175

Watershed or Feeder Stream

Connecticut River Beaver Brook