Uisge Ban Falls (official spelling "Easach Ban"Geographical Names of Canada - Easach Ban
/ref> alternative spellings "Uisage"; "Bàn" or "Bahn") is a

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several ...

near

Baddeck Baddeck () is a village in northeastern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is situated in the centre of Cape Breton, approximately 6 km east of where the Baddeck River empties into Bras d'Or Lake. Local governance is provided by the rural municipali ...

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

. The falls is located in Uisge Ban Falls Provincial Park near New Glen, Victoria County, 14.5 kilometres (9 miles) north of

Description

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 Bras d'Or Lake ( Mi'kmawi'simk: Pitupaq) is an irregular estuary in the centre of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. It has a connection to the open sea, and is tidal. It also has inflows of fresh water from rivers, making the bracki ...

. Easach Ban drops over over a run of . While most of Easach Ban is a

cascade Cascade, Cascades or Cascading may refer to: Science and technology Science * Cascade waterfalls, or series of waterfalls * Cascade, the CRISPR-associated complex for antiviral defense (a protein complex) * Cascade (grape), a type of fruit * Bioc ...

, there is a prominent section that is a

horsetail ''Equisetum'' (; horsetail, snake grass, puzzlegrass) is the only living genus in Equisetaceae, a family of ferns, which reproduce by spores rather than seeds. ''Equisetum'' is a "living fossil", the only living genus of the entire subclass ...

waterfall dropping 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 Volcanism, vulcanism or volcanicity is the phenomenon of eruption of molten rock (magma) onto the surface of the Earth or a solid-surface planet or moon, where lava, pyroclastics, and volcanic gases erupt through a break in the surface called a ...

, collision of continents,

mountain-building Orogeny is a mountain building process. An orogeny is an event that takes place at a convergent plate margin when plate motion compresses the margin. An ''orogenic belt'' or ''orogen'' develops as the compressed plate crumples and is uplifted t ...

, massive

erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is d ...

and

glaciation A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate bet ...

, 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 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.

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", 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. The "Easach Ban" spelling is the only version used on Government of Canada topographical maps. Uisge Ban Falls c1900

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.

Gallery

File:Falls Brook, at Uisage Ban Falls Provincial Park.JPG, Along the Falls Trail File:20111022 Uisge Ban Falls Provincial Park 01.jpg, Along the Falls Trail File:20111022 Uisge Ban Falls Provincial Park 04.jpg, Along the Falls Trail File:New Bridge on the Falls Brook Trail.JPG, New Bridge on the Falls Trail File:20111022 Uisge Ban Falls Provincial Park 06.jpg, Along the Falls Trail File:20111022 Uisge Ban Falls Provincial Park 17.jpg, Lower Falls File:Uisage Ban Falls, Upper Falls.jpg, Upper falls at low water File:Easach Ban Falls.jpg, Upper falls in October 2014

References

External links

Nova Scotia Geographical Names
(listed as Easach Ban - links to a detailed topographical map)
Uisge Ban Falls - Moosebait.com
{{Baddeck Waterfalls of Nova Scotia Tourist attractions in Victoria County, Nova Scotia Landforms of Victoria County, Nova Scotia