Willamette Falls

As the continent’s second largest waterfall by volume, Willamette Falls is a place where multiple histories and cultures converge.

For millennia, Native peoples have been fishing for salmon and lamprey from the river and gathering foods and materials from its shores. For most of the 20th century, industrialization that began at Willamette Falls vitalized the regional economy. At the same time, it created serious ecological damage.

Today, Willamette Falls Trust is guiding the way to public access for everyone at the Falls. We achieve this through our inclusive collaborative efforts with our many partners, including delegated representatives from the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. These official tribal representatives lead through our Tribal Leadership Committee to bring healing to this place of power.

Our project will establish public access to Willamette Falls that would include a prominent view of the Falls, a gathering place that elevates the culture and presence of Indigenous peoples through cultural programming, interpretive elements describing the many and varied stories and interests at the Falls, and water access for cultural purposes in perpetuity.