Measuring Tin Mine Falls
It has been suggested that the conflict between the reported height and the surveyed topography of the area can be explained by the inclusion of a long series of cascades upstream from the waterfall. Therefore the definition of a waterfall and the chosen measuring process will determine the measured height.
A thorough and widely referenced process for measuring the height of a waterfall can be found here. The crux of the process is that although shallow cascades can be included in a waterfall, they are excluded when the water is not flowing over bedrock. Simpler methods are only really suited to single drop waterfalls.
The lower limit of Tin Mine falls is easy to pinpoint due to the final plunge into a large pool, from which the water flows smoothly. The upper limit is less decisive, because the stream changes from a relatively flat meandering course to the plunge quite gradually. However, a distinct and drastic change occurs at one point where the water transitions from a series of small connected pools with pebbled/mud bottoms to a smooth and fast slide over bedrock.
Above this point, the water is not flowing over bedrock, and is not losing height quickly.
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