Considering Cascades

From a 1931 picture from
the Friends of the Cleveland Cascade.
The cascades were lit
with different colors of light.

I recently ran across a reference to the Cleveland Cascade. It is not in Cleveland, but is a water work that cascades down a portion of too-steep-for-cars Cleveland Street in Oakland. I found this reference through a strange series of searches from tulips, to the California Nursery Company spring flowering bulbs shows, to Howard Gilkey who designed Oakland flower shows, and finally to the Cleveland Cascades.

We went over to see the Cleveland Cascade today. Unfortunately the basins were all removed and so now there are just steps. Lots of people are still enjoying the steps as their daily exercise. It sure beats the gym.

Wikipedia classifies waterfalls and a cascade is one where the water descends down a series of rock steps. They provides a lot of enjoyment all the way down.

The Cleveland Cascade was inspired by Italian cascades. However, I was immediately struck by the resemblence of one of my favorite water features in the East Bay Parks, what we call "Three Tubs". It is a wonderful, possibly spring-fed feature for grazing cows. Definitely a cascade.

Along that same bathroom scheme is "Two Sinks One Tub" at the "Poor man's Hearst Castle" in Cambria.

Perhaps the Ideal cascade of one.

I never noticed the cascade at the Morcom Rose Garden until today.

Here are some other cascade fountains to admire:

• Ville d'Este, Tivoli, Italy
•  This blog, The Peak of Chic, has some pictures of cascade fountains. I especially like the one with the dragon.
• Harold Lloyd's cascade
• Can't forget the cascade at Peterhof Palace
• LAPD cascade in Eden magazine.

LAPD Cascade

Here is one of my favorite water features in Yosemite park, lower Chilnualna Falls. I think we could consider the falls a cascade.