Fallingwater Friday

Welcome to our first Fallingwater Friday. Each Friday we will feature news and information about Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece, the natural landscape surrounding it, and provide you with updates on special events at the property.

For the second winter in a row, the falls at Fallingwater have frozen over, concealing the fact that Bear Run is still running underneath the ice. Frozen surfaces covering waterfalls may not be that rare in southwestern Pennsylvania, according to Ben Wright, WPC Director of Watershed Field Services. Here's Ben's explanation:

“Flowing water rarely freezes solid. As the temperature dips below freezing, ice particles, which are less dense, float to the top of the stream and bond together. If the air temperature is below freezing long enough, the particles of ice will get larger and begin to stick to themselves, or a solid object (i.e. a rock or debris found on the side or in the middle of the stream). Ice continues to accumulate on the surface of the water where the cold air allows the once semi-liquid ice/water to become a solid. As more water hits the already frozen ice, the cold surface combined with the cold air temperatures, causes the water to freeze and thus the ice to accumulate. The larger the body of water, the longer it would have to be below freezing for all of the falls to be covered in ice.

Factors like the amount of flow, water depth and turbulence also play a part. I would speculate that most area waterways the size of Bear Run do have a frozen surface right now. However, I am sure not all of them would look as picturesque!”

Museum Programs Assistant Clinton Piper took this photograph of Fallingwater on January 21. As of January 30, the falls remained frozen over. View last year's WPC Daily when Fallingwater falls had frozen over for the first time in nine years.

Help WPC achieve its mission.

E-mail Today's WPC Daily to a Friend!

Sign Up for WPC Daily