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Why is the water in the Upper Peninsula brown?

The dark brown color in the water is nothing to worry about. This color originates from the tannins that leach from the cedar swamp at the start of the Tahquamenon River.



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The water is notably brown in color because of tannins that are leached from the cedar swamps which the river drains. The upper falls are more than 200 feet across and drop approximately 48 feet. During the late spring runoff, the river drains as much as 50,000 gallons of water per second.

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Especially noticeable at the waterfalls is the brown tea color of the water due to humic acids that originate from decaying vegetation in the headwaters. The discharge (rate of flow) of the streams is highest in the late spring and early summer following snowmelt.

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The Tahquamenon Falls are actually two different waterfalls on the Tahquamenon River. The water is notably brown in color because of tannins that are leached from the cedar swamps which the river drains. The upper falls are more than 200 feet across and drop approximately 48 feet.

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According to Indian lore, the origin of the name Tahquamenon is attributed to the water's amber color, which is the result of leaching of tanic acid from the cedar and hemlock swamps that feed the river. The Tahquamenon is special in many ways.

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Marcelo Galizio has taken the trip over Tahqhamenon Falls 18 times in his life, but it's his most recent trip that's earned the attention of people all over Michigan.

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The Tahquamenon Falls are actually two different waterfalls on the Tahquamenon River. The water is notably brown in color because of tannins that are leached from the cedar swamps which the river drains.

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(1) No person shall bathe, swim or enter the waters of Grand River, the canals on either side thereof, or any other public waterway within the limits of the City of Grand Rapids at any place, locality and time, except such as have been designated by an order of the City Manager; provided, however, that this Section ...

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Tahquamenon Falls – Paradise The Upper Falls, at 50 feet tall and 200 feet wide, stand alone as Michigan's largest waterfalls, the most interesting and among the most accessible.

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NO river water is considered safe to drink, ESPECIALLY large rivers that pass through cities. The Rio Plata (means 'silver river'), the 'Blue Danube', the Seine, Thames, Mississippi, Ganges, Yellow River, - all are a nice brownish colour partly due to the waste and surface drainage they still contain.

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The Upper Peninsula's waterfalls are made up of sandstone and were formed over thousands of years. Much of the formation is due to how water falls over or on top of the rock that makes it up. Water erodes the rock over time and can create ridges and falls and a water basin by wearing down soft rock.

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Ocqueoc Falls is the largest waterfall in Michigan's Lower Peninsula and the only universally-accessible waterfall in the United States. Ocquoec provides approximately six miles of hiking, biking and cross-country skiing opportunities with three marked loops.

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The Tahquamenon River It starts from a spring near Newberry in Luce County and flows 89.1 miles to Whitefish Bay on Lake Superior. The miles of forest lands and waters surrounding the river are home to white-tail deer, moose, bear, wolves, porcupine, otters, mink, fox, coyote, beaver and dozens of bird species.

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