Waterfall Detail: This waterfall is located just before the West Branch Musquash River empties into the Musquash Marsh. It is an excellent example of the method by which the rivers to the west of the Saint John River empty into the Bay of Fundy. William Francis Ganong documented this phenomenon at the turn of the last century. Flowing between a notch in this rugged coastal area, the river drops 3 metres (10 feet) into the water of the estuary when the tide is high.
Take the Musquash exit from Route 1 and drive south toward Chance Harbour. At approximately 1.5 km from the interchange the road crosses the West Branch Musquash River. Just before the bridge park alongside the road and walk the short distance to the picnic area found at the abutment of the old bridge that spanned the river as well as information about the preservation of the marsh and the watershed.
Visit Detail: I just finished photographing the Lepreau Falls and the East Branch Musquash Falls and decided I had time to drive out to Chance Harbour to see if I would find a seascape to photograph. Just as I crossed the West Branch Musquash River I glance to my left towards a narrow notch in the rocky landscape. I noticed a narrow channel out to the estuary as well as an appreciable drop from the river to the estuary, so I decided to scout out the area.
Making my way along the hard crust snow, I stopped at the gazebo and read the information about the marsh. From here it is a short saunter to the falls. The river is running wide open with only ice buildup on the rocky outcrops near the edge of the waterfalls. It is easy to see the high water mark of the bay and how on high tide it would diminish the height of the waterfall.
What a wonderful find on such a mild and calm day for January. Enticed by the beauty of the waterfall and surroundings I spent 45 minutes capturing the personality of the area at the transition between fresh water of the river and the salt water of the ocean.