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Pollution of Cumberland Falls

Cumberland Falls in Fall

The Beauty of Cumberland Falls

©Fultz Fotos

 

I recently took a trip to the Big South Fork area of southern Kentucky.  On our second day there, we ventured to a slew of waterfalls, but ended up at Cumberland Falls and Eagle Falls in the late afternoon and early evening.  This was a trip that a good friend of mine, Bill Fultz, organized for a group of waterfall photographers from Ohio and West Virginia.  This was the first time for almost all of them to photograph a Kentucky waterfall.  The royal jewel of Kentucky waterfalls is of course the Niagara of the South, the Great Falls, Cumberland Falls.  So you can imagine my frustration with fellow Kentuckians on the incredible pollution of this waterfall.  Instead of this majestic waterfall looking like Bill's photo above, it looked like mine below.

 Pollution of Cumberland Falls

The pollution of Cumberland Falls

©One Man's Adventure

 

You might say to yourself, that is not pollution, that is just trash.  Alas, pollution is defined as "the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse changes."  There is a massive adverse change.  Instead of tourists coming to visit one of our greatest natural wonders, they come and get to see piles and piles of trash in front of the waterfall.  I personally have been to North Carolina and seen heroin needles in the water above a waterfall.  Talking to the nearby resident, it was clear that it was not an isolated case but something that flows downstream quite often.  I personally live along a state highway.  You would be embarrassed if you knew just how much trash us Kentuckians throw out our car windows.  Every single day I find or pick up trash that is located in my front yard.  I find fast food cups and bags that are from restaurants that I know are not located within 10 miles of my house.  Why do people refuse to wait until they are home to throw them away?  Why do we as a population have no thought on polluting our state with our discard?  Why is the penalty only $500 for throwing trash out a car window?  This is a problem of our neighboring states as well, as seen in this article about over 15,000 illegal dump sites in West Virginia.  Don't even get me started on the tens of thousands or cigarettes along my yard, and I have never had one in my life.

 

Instead here in Kentucky, we are allowing radioactive waste to be dumped illegally from neighboring state's production.  Makes you think, what do those states do to make it easier for the companies to just drive it illegally and illegally dump it in Kentucky?

 

Kentucky has such a problem with roadside dumping, that the state has cleaned up an average of 1,764 illegal dump sites per year since 1993.  That has cost us taxpayers over $57 million ("Once Upon a Place" by Kenneth D Tunnell).  To reference that amount of money, that would pay for the free two year college program vetoed just this week, for over 5 years.

 

So I decided to dive into this issue and see why is there such a massive problem in Kentucky.  I quickly discovered that only 83% of households in the state have trash collection services, leaving 17% that do not participate in trash collection (Green Eco Services).  They go on to state that Kentucky produces 17 million pounds of garbage daily.  That means 2.89 million pounds are produced by those without garbage collection DAILY!  That is 1,445 tons per day produced by those that do not participate in garbage collection.  Instead of finding a way to collect that trash at a cost that is sustainable to the largely poor population that does not participate or does not have access to garbage collection, we instead import mass amounts of garbage via trains from the east coast cities.  "Like Prisoners, trash shipments can be big business for states willing to accept them.  Kentucky, for example, has room for 212 million tons of waste.  At a going rate of $29 per ton, that's a $6 billion economic opportunity." (Slate)  The article also goes on to state that in the 23 years from 1986 to 2009, the number of landfills in the nation decreased by 75%.  That makes access to proper disposal harder and more expensive.

 

Kentucky ranked 50 or 50 or dead last in 2011 for the State Litter Scorecard.  In 2014 we moved up to 45th out of 50 states for the State Litter Scorecard.  We do have programs, like the Adopt-A-Highway program started in 1988 by the Kentucky Department of Transportation.  They have cleaned up 96,000 bags of litter over 200,000 volunteer hours  (Green Eco Services).  We also actively use low level prisoners to clean up roadside trash.  So the state is trying to attack the cleanup, as seen by the rise in the rankings, but what about the problem at its core?

 

Do we educate the populous about illegal dumping?  Not particularly, and this is a state that has 21% of people with 4 or more years of college, ranking 48th out of 50 states.  We are 44th for high school or higher education, with only 81.8%.  That is a part of the problem, but the people speeding by my house tossing out there trash, are driving their nice cars, heading to their new homes in sprawling subdivision, not to their hillside trailer in southeastern Kentucky.  The problem goes beyond just a socioeconomic issue.  The issue is multi-headed, being a problem with access to proper garbage disposal, the money to be able to afford a rising cost of garbage collection, uneducated about the problem and just pure laziness.  

Moonbow

Moonbow

©One Man's Adventure

 

So who is at fault for the mass of trash at the base of Cumberland Falls?  

Cumberland Falls Watershed

Visualization of the Watershed for Cumberland Falls

 

It starts in the headwaters of the Cumberland River, up the Poor Fork, near towns like Cumberland or Harlan.  In the mountains along Martin's Fork or near the gap in Middlesborough, the largest town in the watershed for the falls.  Citizens throwing trash out their window, a mere plastic bottle onto the hillside along a road.  The wind blows and sends the bottle further down the hill toward to hollar.  The rain carries it to a nearby creek that only takes it to a larger and larger stream, eventually making its way to a major fork of the Cumberland River.  A large rain event sends it flying down the Cumberland River, only to get lodged below the falls on rocks, high above the normal pool elevation.  Did that citizen of the Commonwealth think about the possibilities of what that bottle could do?  How long it could last out there in our waterways?  Or did they only think about how they did not want to put it in a garbage can and how it was easier to just roll the window down a bit and toss it out of THEIR sight, only to make it into the sight of the over 750,000 annual visitors to the falls?

 

It is not just those that live in the watershed though.  It is those that drive through it, on the 1000's of miles of state highways and interstates located in the watershed.  Just below Cumberland Falls, is the gorgeous Eagle Falls.  I was amazed at the trash there as well, that was from VISITORS, discarding their water bottles, too lazy to carry them out.  I left one in the picture below that someone discarded over the railing, not quite making it over the cliff to the river below.  WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY?

 Cumberland Falls via Eagle Falls Trail

Cumberland Falls from Eagle Falls Trail

©One Man's Adventure

 

Illegal dumping is a massive problem in the state of Kentucky, one that we should think hard about solving.  I know no one at the Kentucky Derby this coming weekend is going to see the litter or the dumping of eastern Kentucky, but we need to waken up to the problem across the entire state, and protect more than whiskey and horses.  Whitley County, where the lodge and most of Cumberland Falls State Resort Park is located, brought in $101,511,590 in travel expenditures in 2014 (Kentucky Tourism).  So the falls is important, let's keep it and Kentucky clean.

Waterfall Trip, Volume 1

written by Bill Fultz
edited by Christopher Morris
 
Nestled between the bourbon barrels and horse farms of Kentucky is a landscape of unbridled beauty where far below the soaring mountains and towering natural arches water flows through the tributaries, creeks and rivers.  One would not realize it, but on these many waterways Kentucky has hundreds of waterfalls scattered throughout the state, some are well known, like Cumberland Falls, some are not, like Lick Creek Falls, and some are so remote that if they have been discovered, they’ve been long forgotten.  Please join the Kentucky Waterfalls website as we take a journey and visit some of Kentucky’s most beautiful waterfalls.  Over the coming months we’ll pick five waterfalls, mostly within close proximity of one another and give trail and location information along with when the best time to visit them.  Now we present you with our first 5 selections.

Below is a map that shows the location of the waterfalls as well as the trails to them.  Zoom in to a particular waterfall to see the details.

 

#1 Anglin Falls

Anglin Falls
©Fultz Fotos
 
Located 8 miles outside Berea in the John B. Stephenson Memorial Forest & State Nature Preserve, this towering, nearly 75 ft tall waterfall is a lesser known gem, that is if it has water on it.  The hike requires a 0.7 mile easy/moderate trek and there are two creek crossings.  If you can cross the creek without getting your feet wet it’s probably not worth the trip as it requires a very good rain to get the falls flowing.  A good time to visit is in the spring when the wildflowers are in bloom. 
 
842 Anglin Falls Rd, McKee
GPS for the waterfall: Latitude 37.497719°, Longitude -84.216988°
More information on Anglin Falls.
 
 
 
This is the trail profile if you were to start in the parking area and hike up along the creek and eventually to the base of the waterfall.
 

#2 Flat Lick Falls 

Flat Lick Falls
                                                                                                               ©One Man's Adventure
 
It was barely known a few years ago, now this Jackson County waterfall in the city of Gray Hawk has become a very popular destination.  With excellent parking facilities and a wheelchair accessible overlook, it’s an easy walk to view the falls.  If you are feeling adventurous, you can cross the creek above the waterfall and follow the trail to the base.  This is truly one of the state’s most scenic, at 33 ft. tall the water plunges into a gorgeous splash pool surrounded by short cliffs and boulders. In a heavy rain, crossing the creek above the falls is dangerous and should not be attempted.  During drier times it will dry up to nothing but a trickle. 
 
Flat Lick Road, Gray Hawk
GPS for the waterfall: Latitude 37.370941°, Longitude -83.940163°.
More information on Flat Lick Falls.
 
 
This is the trail profile if you were to start in the parking area, go to the overlook, which is around the 750' mark.  Then the track continues as if you were to walk back up the trail, cross the top of the falls and descend on the other side of the creek to the base of the waterfall.
 

#3 Van Hook Falls 

Van Hook Falls
©Fultz Fotos
 
The trail to Van Hook Falls through the Cane Creek Wildlife Management Area could seriously contend as the best hike in the state.  At 2.5 miles one way, this moderate trip on a section of The Sheltowee Trace National Recreation Trail through a hemlock forest passes along a deep slot canyon, and the best part is the destination is the 37 ft tall Van Hook Falls!  One thing to note, like most of the waterfalls on this tour, a recent and decent rain is required to get the most out of this hike and the destination falls. To access the trail, park at the lot at the junction of KY 192 and KY 1193.  Cross the road to the trail head.
 
West Laurel Road, London
GPS for the waterfall: Latitude 37.02439769°, Longitude -84.28084631°
More information on Van Hook Falls.
 
 
This is the trail profile if you were to start in the parking area, cross the road and travel the Sheltowee Trace back to Van Hook Falls.
 

#4 Bark Camp Creek Cascades 

Bark Camp Creek Cascades
©Fultz Fotos
 
There are two trails you can use to access this series of small waterfalls just before Bark Camp Creek’s confluence with the Cumberland River, in a truly beautiful setting.  The first trail head is located on FR 193, approximately 2 miles from KY 1277, and is a lovely 2.5 mile hike along the creek.  The other trail head is located at the end of FR 551, which is to the right off of FR 193, shortly after you drive onto the FR from 1277.  The trail from this point is a little under a mile.  Both trails are moderate. 
 
Forest Road 551, Daniel Boone National Forest, London District
GPS location of the waterfall: Latitude 36.90747865°, Longitude -84.3048852°.
More information on Bark Camp Creek Cascades.
 
 
This is the trail profile if you were to start in the parking area at the end of FR 551 and take the trail down to the bottom of the hill at the cascades.  You actually hike the flood route of the Sheltowee Trace.
 

#5 Dog Slaughter Falls 

Dog Slaughter Falls
©Fultz Fotos
 
Truly one of the gems of the Kentucky waterfalls, Dog Slaughter Falls is a 1 mile hike from the lower trail head on FR 195, 2.7 miles from KY 90.  The trail is moderate as it follows along the beautiful Dog Slaughter Creek. After looping around a tall cliff line above the falls, you’ll drop into a lovely grotto where the 17 ft. tall waterfall plunges into a deep splash pool as it meanders around some large boulders before making it’s final decent to meet the Cumberland River.  There is almost always water on the falls throughout all seasons; however during a dry spell the falls can be somewhat unimpressive.  
 
Forest Road 195, Daniel Boone National Forest, London District
GPS for the waterfall: Latitude 36.85880149°, Longitude -84.3118579°
More information on Dog Slaughter Falls.
 
 
 
This is the trail profile if you were to start in the parking area, the one that claims to be 1 mile from the waterfall.  Then you cross the creek and hike along the creek, heading downstream, eventually reaching the base of the waterfall.
 
The reason these particular waterfalls were chosen for this post is because of their close proximity to one another.  One could visit all these within a day or two, depending on your hiking/driving pace.  The next installment will continue with the close proximity of Dog Slaughter Falls with five more nearby waterfalls that will take us into The Big South Fork National Recreation Area and beyond.  Thank you for taking the time to read and keep on waterfalling!
 
Photographs by Bill Fultz and Christopher Morris. 
Bill's website: www.fultzfotos.com. Facebook: www.facebook.com/FultzFotos 
Chris's website: www.onemansadventure.com. 
The Kentucky Waterfalls website: http://kywaterfalls.com
 
Trail profiles are based off of the 10 meter DEM for the State of Kentucky.  Expect mild errors in the elevation profiles.

State's Tallest Watefall

This past weekend I was able to make my way Mammoth Cave National Park and confirm that the state's tallest waterfall, measured so far, is not Yahoo Falls.  The biggest argument here would be, what size watershed is needed to consider a waterfall a true waterfall?  Does it need to flow year round?  You could make the argument that even Yahoo Falls does not do that.  The Forest Service considers Dick Gap Falls to be a waterfall, and has signs for it and it is located on their topographical maps.  It yet only has a watershed of 40 acres.  I have never seen a picture of it with decent flow. 

Yahoo Falls has a watershed of 303 acres.

Yahoo Falls is 108 feet tall, from crest to ground below.

Yahoo Falls

Yahoo Falls

©One Man's Adventure

Flea Cave Hollow Falls on the other hand, was measured at 122 feet tall, from crest to the ground below.  It only has a watershed of 41 acres, close to what Dick Gap Falls has.  Yet I have seen pictures and videos with WAY more water than it had when I visited.  Of course being in Mammoth Cave National Park, means the falls most likely is somewhat spring fed as well.  There are several sinkholes located in the plateau above the waterfall.

Flea Cave Hollow Falls, Edmonson County, Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

Flea Cave Hollow Falls

©Chuck Sutherland

I would venture to guess that there are other waterfalls with watersheds similar to Yahoo Falls that rival it in height or exceed it.  The question is have you been to one that you think is higher?  Let me know.

 

Also I have received a few waterfalls that I did not know existed, that readers and viewers alike have submitted.  Please continue to submit any waterfalls that you know of that are not listed.  They have been added to the map and the website as well.

Submit a Waterfall

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