The Willamette Falls Locks, and the long effort to open them again

Have you ever looked at Willamette Falls and wondered how a boat could ever get past it? You’re not alone. Plenty of people who’ve lived here for years don’t know the answer is sitting right on the West Linn bank.

It’s the Willamette Falls Locks, and it’s one of the most interesting things in town that almost nobody gets to see working.

What the locks are

The locks opened in 1873, built to get boats past the 40-foot drop of Willamette Falls. Think of them as a staircase made of water. A boat enters a chamber, the gates close, the water level changes, and the boat steps up or down to the next chamber. There are five gates in the run.

Before the locks, cargo had to be hauled around the falls by land. After them, boats could travel the river past West Linn and Oregon City, and that traffic helped build both towns. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has owned the locks since 1915. They were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and named an Oregon Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1991.

Why they closed

The Corps put the locks into “caretaker status” in 2005 and shut them down completely in November 2011. The reasons were corrosion in the gate anchors and concern about how the structure would hold up in an earthquake.

So for well over a decade, the locks have sat quiet on the West Linn side of the river.

Who’s working to reopen them

This is the part I find encouraging. In 2021 the Oregon Legislature created the Willamette Falls Locks Authority, an independent public corporation whose whole job is getting the locks running again for boats, recreation, tourism and history. The City of West Linn is a partner and financial contributor.

Real work has happened, too:

• The Corps installed 71 rock anchors to stabilize the structure between September 2023 and February 2024, finishing the job that spring.
• About $19 million has been invested so far across state, federal and local governments.
• The first phase of repairs, focused on seismic and gate stability, uses roughly $6 million set aside in 2021.

Where it honestly stands

I’d rather give you the plain version than the hopeful one.

There’s no reopening date. The Authority asked the Legislature for $11.4 million in lottery bonds in 2025, and that bill didn’t pass. The Authority said it would go back again in the 2026 session. Later phases of work, like operating access, lighting and fire suppression, are waiting on that money.

Ownership is still moving, too. The city says the Authority aims to take the locks over from the Corps by 2027. Other reporting has pointed to 2026. Either way, the handoff hasn’t happened yet.

Supporters estimate a working set of locks could bring in up to $49 million a year in commercial transportation and up to $50 million a year in recreation. Those are projections, not promises, but they show why so many people keep pushing.

Why it matters if you live here

West Linn grew up around this river. The falls are the reason there’s a town here at all. A reopened set of locks would put boats back on the river past our riverfront, and it would turn a closed piece of history into something you could actually watch work.

In the meantime, the river is still the best part of living here. Willamette Park sits right where the Tualatin meets the Willamette, with a boat ramp at Bernert Landing, a dock, and plenty of room to sit by the water. It’s a good place to start if you want to feel why this stretch of river matters so much to people.

If you’re thinking about a home near the river, or you just want to know which neighborhoods sit closest to it, I’m always happy to talk it through. No pressure, just a real conversation. Reach out any time.