Unlock the Locks

The Willamette Falls Locks Authority was established in 2021 to assume ownership, oversight, and long-term management of the Willamette Falls Locks. Its mission is to return the Locks to operational status, restoring navigability on the Willamette River for commercial, transportation, recreational, cultural, historic, heritage, and tourism purposes. The Authority is seeking to transfer ownership of the Locks from the US Army Corps of Engineers by 2027.

The City of West Linn is a key partner and financial contributor to the Authority, supporting the effort to reopen the Locks and reconnect communities along the river.

The Willamette Falls Locks Authority is a public corporation that exercises and carries out all powers, rights and privileges that are expressly conferred upon the authority, are implied by law, or are incident to such powers, rights and privileges. The authority is an independent public corporation with a statewide mission and purposes and without territorial boundaries. The authority is a governmental entity performing governmental functions and exercising governmental powers but, except as otherwise provided by law, is not a unit of local or municipal government or a state agency for purposes of state statutes or constitutional provisions.