Uisge Ban Falls

Uisge Ban Falls (official spelling "Easach Ban"[1] alternative spellings "Uisage"; "Bàn" or "Bahn")[2] is a waterfall near Baddeck, Nova Scotia, Canada. The falls is located in Uisge Ban Falls Provincial Park[3] near New Glen, Victoria County, 14.5 kilometres (9 miles) north of Baddeck.

Easach Ban
Uisge Ban Waterfall
Easach Ban, Victoria County, Nova Scotia
LocationUisge Ban Falls Provincial Park, New Glen, Nova Scotia, Canada
Coordinates46°12′48.55″N 60°47′31.31″W
TypePlunge and Cascade
Elevation200 metres (660 ft)
Total height100 metres (330 ft)
Number of drops2 prominent horsetail drops, plus cascade
Longest drop16 metres (52 ft)
Run715 metres (2,346 ft)
WatercourseFalls Brook

Description
The Falls in September 2012

Easach Ban is a section of the longer Falls Brook, which flows into the North Branch Baddeck River, and eventually to St. Patricks Channel of the Bras d'Or Lake.

Easach Ban drops over 100 metres (330 ft) over a run of 715 metres (2,346 ft). While most of Easach Ban is a cascade, there is a prominent section that is a horsetail waterfall dropping 16 metres (52 ft) in multiple steps, with a pool 2/3 of the way down, between sections of the falls.

Natural history

The landscape surrounding Easach Ban is a product or incredibly powerful forces which have shaped and reshaped the area over 5 billion years. Formation of the earth's landmass, tremendous volcanic activity, collision of continents, mountain-building, massive erosion and glaciation, have all played a role in shaping this landscape.

Easach Ban lies in a steep-sided river canyon, part of the landscape which forms the interface between the elevated Cape Breton Boreal Plateau and the lower Central Cape Breton Hills landscapes. Major river systems, such as the Baddeck River of which Easach Ban is part, originate on the boreal plateau, plunge down the steep slopes (approximately 300 metres (980 ft) in height), to eventually empty into the Bras d'Or Lakes. Rock types of this landscape are similar to those found in the boreal plateau - derived ancient granite, gneiss, and schist.

The Easach Ban canyon is filled by deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forests. Dominant tree species include sugar maple, yellow birch, beech, white spruce, and balsam fir. Provincially rare and uncommon plants occur in this canyon.[4]

Name

The name Uisge Ban comes from the Gaelic meaning “white water”, uisge bàn, probably conflated with the word eas meaning a waterfall.

The official name usage for the falls is confusing as most maps produced by the Government of the Province of Nova Scotia and by many tourist groups use either of the two spellings starting with a "U",[2] sometimes using both spellings in the same document, yet the only official name that appears in either Government of Nova Scotia or Government of Canada, Canadian Geographical Names Data Base (CGNDB) is the "Easach Ban" spelling.[1] The "Easach Ban" spelling is the only version used on Government of Canada topographical maps.

ca. 1900 A scrapbook image of Uisge Ban Falls. Item was donated to the Beaton Institute Archives by Malcolm McNeil of Boston.

The Falls Trail

The waterfall is accessible by trail. The Falls Trail is approximately 3.0 kilometres (1.8 miles) in length (round trip), and requires about one hour to complete. The trail passes through a field then follows Falls Brook upstream through a mixed forest and then a climax hardwood forest composed largely of maple, birch, and beech. The deep stream valley narrows dramatically in the vicinity of Uisge Ban Waterfall. At the falls, the sheer walls of the gorge tower 150 metres (500 feet) on either side.

The original trail was developed with assistance from the Nova Scotia Forest Technicians Association. Recent improvements were undertaken by Stora Enso and the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources.

  • Along the Falls Trail
  • Along the Falls Trail
  • Along the Falls Trail
  • New Bridge on the Falls Trail
  • Along the Falls Trail
  • Lower Falls
  • Upper falls at low water
  • Upper falls in October 2014
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References
  1. Geographical Names of Canada - Easach Ban
  2. "Provincial Hiking Trails of Victoria County, Cape Breton Island" (PDF). Nova Scotia Natural Resources. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  3. "Map of: Uisge Ban Falls Provincial Park". Nova Scotia Health Promotion and Protection. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  4. Uisge Ban Falls (Interpretive Panel at park trail head). Uisge Ban Falls Provincial Park: Parks and Recreation Division, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources. 2014.
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