Originally posted by UncleVanya I am in doubt as to the authenticity of the falls. I have been there and my guess is that they are no longer simply natural. I suspect that they are pumping the water up and allowing it fall. It is carefully lighted and a very controlled experience. I agree that the colors detract so I really like this B&W depiction.
Here is an explanation that I believe is reasonably credible.
"Quite a few years ago, Ruby Falls Cave hired Roy Davis of Cumberland Caverns fame to "supplement" their waterfall.
As is true of most karst streams, the waterfall in Ruby Falls was quite spectacular during most of the winter and spring, our wet season, but dried up to barely a trickle in the summer and fall. Unfortunately, the summer is their big tourist season.
Roy Davis used scaffolding and installed a pump, so now there is a "nice" waterfall for the tourists to see year-round."
About 30 years ago I had the chance to go into another cave near Chattanooga that had been a tourist cave a long time ago (they used metal drums and a cable and pulley system to lower people down from the top). This cave also had an underground waterfall that was quite something, I think we were there in June and the water was cranking, much heavier than Ruby Falls. We were caving with helmet mounted electric and carbide lamps, so it was difficult to get the full effect, but I remember the wind at the bottom of the falls was significant. Unfortunately we were not equipped to photograph that cave that day, so nothing to show for it other than a story.