Tahquamenon Falls
Tahquamenon Falls is one of the most famous landmarks in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The upper falls shown in this video move an average of 7,000 gallons of water a second, and up to 50,000 at peak springtime flow. Against the white backdrop of ice and snow in this winter scene, the brown color of the Tahquamenon River is especially apparent. This color comes from tannin, an organic compound released by the decomposition of material from cedar swamps upriver. This color has given the falls a local nickname– “Root Beer Falls”– also given to a smaller, unnamed waterfall to the west with similar water. Andrew Ironside is a Christian minister and musician. He is the founder of