You may have seen the viral photo of a dry section of Gooseberry Falls. Although the water levels are low, the main falls are not entirely dry yet. 

Park Ranger Nick Hoffman confirms this by saying, “We still have water flowing from the upper falls, the middle falls, and the east section of the lower falls.”

The west side of the lower falls do have a small trickle of water running through them, and this is because of the fact that it isn’t a part of the main stream. The west lower falls are a small break off of the river. 

The dry weather has greatly impacted the water level of the falls overall. Although it isn’t unusual to see low water levels in the river, it is unusual to see them this low this early. 

Hoffman says that last year’s dry weather isn’t helping the situation either. He says, “The watershed didn't have any water in the reserve, so last year you were down and now you're down even more.”

The low levels aren’t deterring visitors either. Instead of not visiting they are adapting. “You're seeing visitors hike up the Gooseberry Falls. Which at this time wouldn't be able to happen because there would be a river flowing through there”, Says Hoffman.

The best thing for Gooseberry Falls would be rain. “What we are looking for are prolonged rain events that allow the water to be absorbed into the soils and the wetlands, to allow them to recharge.”
 

To see the original report and read related stories, follow this link to the WDIO-TV website. https://www.wdio.com/minnesota-news/gooseberry-falls-dry-/6178007/