Two scientists have conducted a fresh assessment of a remote waterfall, indicating that the rarely explored falls in the rugged boreal shield of northern Manitoba could be the tallest in the province. Alexander Martin and Lukas Olson utilized digital photogrammetry to measure Kapakaytay Falls on the Odei River. Their initial findings suggest a height of 16 meters, slightly surpassing the 14-meter height of Kwasitchewan Falls, located southwest of Thompson, a widely acknowledged as Manitoba’s tallest waterfall.
Olson, a PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia specializing in photogrammetry, expressed confidence in the accuracy of the measurement, with a margin of error of plus or minus one meter. Although Kapakaytay Falls was previously measured by the federal government decades ago, the height of 58 feet (approximately 17 meters) listed on topographical maps has not been widely disseminated, according to Martin, a Winnipeg resident and PhD student in ecology at the University of Oxford.
The researchers embarked on a challenging journey to reach the falls, located approximately 40 kilometers northwest of Thompson and 690 kilometers north of Winnipeg. The site’s remote and inaccessible nature required careful planning, whitewater skills, and backcountry experience. After a rigorous 105-kilometer round trip, with assistance from local guides, Olson and Martin were astonished when they finally beheld the waterfall, hidden deep within wildfire-scarred forests along a rugged river.
Inspired by a previous expedition, the researchers used digital photogrammetry and laser measurements to reconstruct and measure the waterfall. Their modeling work indicated a potential height of 52 feet, challenging the commonly held belief that Kwasitchewan Falls is the tallest in Manitoba at 46 feet. The preliminary findings estimated Kapakaytay Falls at around 16 meters, a discovery that brought fulfillment to Olson and Martin.
While the province maintains that Kwasitchewan Falls is the highest waterfall based on its data, Olson and Martin are endeavoring to publish their research findings. They hope that their documentation will facilitate further exploration and study of Kapakaytay Falls in the future. Martin emphasized that despite the perception of a fully mapped globe, there are still opportunities for exploration and documentation in remote and lesser-known areas.