The water from the Mardalsfossen has been tapped for hydroelectric use. It flows over the falls during the summer tourist season of 20 June to 20 August. At other times the water is channeled through the hydroelectric scheme. However in 1970, the Norwegian founder of the Deep Ecology movement Arne Næss, tied himself with 300 others to the waterfall in protest against the building of a dam and the subsequent removal of the waterfall. Deep Ecology did it in an effort to stop the building of the dam and power plant because many waterfalls in Norway were already being utilized in a similar manner. Deep Ecologists feel that everything, both human and non-human has the same inherent value, so the utilization of the waterfall was impinging on or perhaps restraining nature from its right to exist in a natural state.

Fortunately, despite the re channeling of the waterfall is still allowed to flow at full power during the months of mid-June to mid-August from 9 am to 9 pm. During this time, many tourists flock to Mardalsfossen and take picture memories of the tiered waterfall. It is quite unusual that a waterfall would exist on an artificial schedule. But the number of those who come early or late enough to watch and to the sudden change in volume as the dam opens or closes cannot be denied.

Mardalsfossen flows into the nearby lake called Eikesdalsvatnet as most of the waterfalls in Norway were fed from the steady trickle of snow melt from higher up in the mountainous regions. But the flows are usually higher in the early spring when the weather is warming up and much of the previous winter’s snow turns to water where on the average the falls are 80 feet wide.

The Mardalsfossen falls appear to be much thinner against the massive cliffs that they spill over being tiered with the upper falls just to the right of the lower falls. But this makes the falls perfect for very scenic photos. There is even a light mist often rising from the cascades at the base of the lower falls. And helping the white gush of water from the falls to really stand out, the cliffs themselves are a dark gray color. They also melt into a sloping mountain on either side of Mardalsfossen that is covered in greenery all the way down to the lakeside, adding to the picturesque features of the waterfall.