#Twin falls waterfall idaho directions full#
#Twin falls waterfall idaho directions series#

: 134 The Shoshone power plant draws up to 950 cubic feet (7,100 US gal 27 m 3) of water per second thus, the flow of the falls will only increase if the Snake River flow exceeds the combined plant capacity and scenic flow requirement. Further complicating the issue is that most irrigation water is needed in the summer, which coincides with the peak tourist season. Idaho Power is required to maintain a minimum daytime 'scenic flow' of 300 cu ft/s (8.5 m 3/s) from April through Labor Day, although even this small flow can be difficult to achieve due to a lack of water in the Snake River.

Idaho Power's Shoshone Falls Dam is located directly upstream from the falls and diverts water to the Shoshone hydroelectric plant, further reducing the water volume. Shoshone Falls Dam, located directly above the falls, diverts water for hydropower generation and can greatly reduce the flow of the falls in the dry season. The average flow below Milner Dam, 24 miles (40 km) upstream, is just 884 cu ft/s (25 m 3/s), and is frequently zero in the late summer and fall.

For comparison, the average Snake River flow at Idaho Falls – 190 miles (310 km) upstream – is 5,911 cu ft/s (167.4 m 3/s). The average Snake River flow at the Twin Falls stream gaging station is 3,530 cu ft/s (100 m 3/s). A large number of reservoirs, and massive diversions for the irrigation of nearly 2,000,000 acres (3,100 sq mi 8,100 km 2) of farmland, have greatly reduced the volume of water reaching the falls, such that the canyon springs are now the primary water source. Located in an arid region, Shoshone Falls naturally received most of its water from snowmelt in the Rocky Mountains of Idaho and Wyoming near Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, and to a lesser extent springs in the Snake River Canyon above Twin Falls. In low water, the falls split into four or more separate drops the widest, northern section is also called Bridal Veil Falls.

#Twin falls waterfall idaho directions full#

During high water, the falls appear as a single block stretching the full width of the river. The appearance of the falls varies significantly with the river's flow rate.

#Twin falls waterfall idaho directions series#

It is the tallest of several cataracts along this stretch of the Snake River, being located about two miles (3 km) downstream from Twin Falls and 1.5 miles (2.4 km) upstream from Pillar Falls.ĭirectly above Shoshone Falls, the Snake River narrows to less than 400 feet (120 m) wide and rushes over a series of rapids split by islands, before plunging over a vertical, horseshoe-shaped cliff 212 feet (65 m) high and 925 feet (282 m) wide. Shoshone Falls is in the Snake River Canyon on the border of Jerome and Twin Falls counties, 615 miles (990 km) upstream from the Snake River's confluence with the Columbia River. The flow over the falls ranges from more than 20,000 cubic feet per second (570 m 3/s) during late spring of wet years, to a minimum 'scenic flow' (dam release) of 300 cu ft/s (8.5 m 3/s) in dry years. Shoshone Falls is best viewed in the spring, as diversion of the Snake River can significantly diminish water levels in the late summer and fall. The City of Twin Falls owns and operates a park overlooking the waterfall. Irrigation and hydroelectric power stations built on the falls were major contributors to the early economic development of southern Idaho. Now, the flows over the falls can be viewed seasonally based on snowfall, irrigation needs and hydroelectric demands. The falls were documented by Europeans as early as the 1840s despite the isolated location, it became a tourist attraction starting in the 1860s.Īt the beginning of the 20th century, part of the Snake River was diverted for irrigation of the Magic Valley. Sometimes called the 'Niagara of the West,' Shoshone Falls is 212 feet (65 m) in height, 45 feet (14 m) higher than Niagara Falls, and flows over a rim nearly one thousand feet (300 m) in width.įormed by the cataclysmic outburst flooding of Lake Bonneville during the Pleistocene ice age about 14,000 years ago, Shoshone Falls marks the historical upper limit of fish migration (including salmon) in the Snake River, and was an important fishing and trading place for Native Americans. Shoshone Falls ( / ʃ oʊ ˈ ʃ oʊ n/) is a waterfall in the western United States, on the Snake River in south-central Idaho, approximately three miles (5 km) northeast of the city of Twin Falls.