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Click image for 1024x768 view
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Near midnight on Dec 15, 1999, the Snoqualmie River near the falls peaked at about 32,000 cubic feet/sec. Apparently when the flow reaches that volume (well over flood stage) additional overflow mechanisms take effect and a whole new waterfall is created near one of the power station buildings (not shown). The new falls were still there when I took this picture some 8 hours later, even though the flow had decreased to about 25,000 cubic feet/sec. (A day later they were gone, however, so I guess they comes into being only in extreme circumstances.) It appears that the volume of water flowing over these secondary falls is as great, or maybe even grater, than that going over the main falls in late summer.
The temporary falls open up just beyond the far view point on the top, view point 3 on the map. |