Two scientists have conducted a new measurement of a remote waterfall, indicating that the seldom-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, revealing a height of 16 meters, slightly surpassing the 14-meter Kwasitchewan Falls near Thompson, which is commonly believed to be Manitoba’s tallest waterfall.
Olson, a PhD candidate at the University of British Columbia specializing in photogrammetry, expressed confidence in the measurement accuracy, with a margin of error of about one meter. Despite being previously measured by the federal government decades ago, the height of Kapakaytay Falls, listed at 58 feet or approximately 17 meters on topographical maps, has not been widely shared, according to Martin, a Winnipeg native and ecology PhD student at the University of Oxford.
Located approximately 40 kilometers northwest of Thompson and 690 kilometers north of Winnipeg, Kapakaytay Falls poses a significant challenge to access due to its remote location. Martin described it as a highly inaccessible waterfall, nestled deep within wildfire-scarred forests along a river with challenging terrain, requiring expertise in whitewater navigation and backcountry skills.
The arduous 105-kilometer round-trip journey for Olson and Martin, embarked upon in July, was made possible with the assistance of local guides in the Thompson area. Upon finally reaching the waterfall after days of paddling through rapids and logjams, the researchers were amazed by its sheer size and the powerful flow of water cascading over the rocks.
Inspired by a previous expedition in 2019 led by Winnipegger Garrett Fache, who believed Kapakaytay Falls to be Manitoba’s tallest after examining topographic maps and visiting the site, Olson and Martin utilized over 1,000 two-dimensional images captured by a drone for digital photogrammetry. Their model, incorporating laser measurements of surrounding trees and natural features, challenges the previous height estimation of Kapakaytay Falls, suggesting it may be closer to 52 feet compared to the 46-foot Pisew Falls and 14-meter Kwasitchewan Falls.
The researchers’ ongoing efforts to publish their findings aim to contribute to further exploration and documentation of the remote waterfall for future research. Despite the province asserting Kwasitchewan Falls as the highest based on its data, the exact height of Kapakaytay Falls in official records remains unclear. Martin emphasized the importance of continuing to uncover and document unexplored sites, highlighting the limitless opportunities for exploration that still exist.
WATCH: Remote Manitoba waterfall measured as province’s tallest.