Unlock the Locks
The City of West Linn is working with Clackamas County, Metro, the State of Oregon, and many other public and private sector partners to repair and reopen the Willamette Falls Locks. From 1873 to 2011, the Willamette Falls Locks provided passage around the Willamette Falls, making te Willamette River navigable from its headwaters south of Eugene to the Columbia River in Portland. In 2011, the US Army Corps of Engineers closed them due to safety concerns caused by lack of maintenance.
In 2021, the Oregon Legislature established the Willamette Falls Locks Authority, an 11-member body that will assume ownership of the locks once the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completes repairs. The Authority includes representatives from the Willamette Falls and Landings Heritage Area Coalition and Portland General Electric, as well as citizens of West Linn and Wilsonville, Clackamas County, Metro, the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians. State legislators from the region also serve as non-voting advisors.
In early 2021, with the help of Representative Schrader and Senators Wyden and Merkley, Congress earmarked $6.2 million for repairs, bringing total available funds for the project up to just over $9.5 million! Please see the slideshow below for image of Rep. Schrader's celebratory May 5th visit to the Locks alongside many other elected officials, tribal leaders, and community stakeholders who worked to make this happen.
The $6.2 million will go to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to improve the seismic stability of the walls around the upriver gates of the Locks. This will also preserve the water table for renewable energy generation at PGE’s Sullivan Power Plant. Steelhead and salmon habitat upriver will also benefit from this protection.
News & Updates
March 2023 - Willamette Locks Ready for Seismic Repairs: The Corps awarded a two-year construction contract for safety and seismic repairs beginning this spring. Once repairs are complete, management of the locks will transfer to the Willamette Falls Locks Authority, expected to take place in 2026. We can't wait to see river traffic back again!
June 2022 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Transfers Ownership of Willamette Falls Locks
March 2022 - Repairs on Willamette Falls Locks could begin next year
