Boundary Falls (British Columbia) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Boundary Falls |
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Coordinates | 49°02′16″N 118°42′26″W / 49.03778°N 118.70722°W |
Type | Plunge |
Total height | 40 feet (12 m) |
Number of drops | 1 |
Longest drop | 40 feet (12 m) |
Total width | 10 feet (3.0 m) |
Watercourse | Boundary Creek |
Boundary Falls is a beautiful waterfall located in British Columbia, Canada. It is found on Boundary Creek, which flows into the Kettle River. This waterfall is situated inside a small canyon. You can find it about halfway between the towns of Midway and Greenwood. The nearby town of Boundary Falls was even named after these very falls!
Exploring Boundary Falls
Boundary Falls is about 40 feet (12 meters) tall. It is a "plunge" type waterfall, meaning the water drops straight down. The falls are located a short distance below where Boundary Creek enters a small canyon.
You can easily see the falls from the edge of the canyon. If you are careful, you can also climb down the steep canyon walls to reach the bottom of the falls. It is also quite easy to get close to the top edge of the waterfall.
Old Dam and Power
About 100 feet (30 meters) upstream from the top of the falls, you can find the remains of an old dam. This dam was built a long time ago. Its purpose was to create power for the nearby city of Greenwood.
History of the Boundary Falls Smelter
In the late 1800s, many miners came to the Boundary Falls area. They were looking for valuable minerals. Because there were so many mining opportunities, the miners decided to build a large smelter. A smelter is a factory that heats up rocks to extract metals like copper.
The smelter was finished in 1901. However, it faced many problems soon after. High operating costs and low prices for copper made it difficult to keep running. Because of these challenges, the smelter closed down in 1907.
Today, you can still see piles of slag near the falls. Slag is the waste material left over after metal has been extracted from ore. These slag piles are a reminder of the large refining and power-generating settlement that once thrived here.