The Willamette Fall Trust is working to create a place where people can fully experience the beauty of the continents’ second most powerful waterfall, Willamette Falls, up close. The group plans to achieve this by creating a Riverwalk, which will give the public access to the intricacies of the river and waterfall. A few of the plans are to add a series of winding promenades and lofting pathways along the Willamette River to give people a great experience with the river and an intimate view of the Falls. The goal is to add an overlook at the precipice of the Falls and connect the Falls to downtown Oregon City. Designs for phase one of the Riverwalk are in the final stages and they are getting ready to start construction.
Willamette Falls Trust wants to make the Riverwalk into a place to tell stories of the communities that intersect at the Falls and the histories of the place.
Willamette Falls Trust has shared renderings of plans for what the future Riverwalk will look like.
Willamette Falls Trust is not currently adding volunteers because of pandemic guidelines, but the nonprofit hopes to soon. You can sign up here to stay updated on volunteer possibilities in the future.
The current plans for the Willamette Falls Riverwalk include repurposing one of the former mill buildings into a three-story structure which will provide visitors with an overlook of the falls and Willamette River, restored habitat and gathering spaces as well as the historic and cultural interpretation of the site.
“I was born and raised near Willamette Falls. I remember as a child, when we’d drive by and catch a glimpse of the Falls—and how extraordinary it was. As an adult, I feel that same awe. I will often pull over to the outlook on a sunny day to take in the view. It’s amazing how quickly looking over such beauty calms me and makes me feel at home.
My hope is that the Riverwalk will create that same sense of belonging for others, whether they live here or are just visiting. It’s what made me want to volunteer. Because this project is so much more than constructing buildings and walkways to view the largest waterfall in the Northwest. It is about celebrating people—past and present—who have built their lives around the Falls. It’s about safeguarding and sharing a beautiful landmark and habitat in a meaningful way.
I chose to volunteer because listening to and honoring the many histories and lifeways found at the Falls feels important to me. And I want to be part of bringing people together for the betterment of our community and environment.
My experience volunteering with Willamette Falls Trust has been meaningful in many ways. I immediately felt a kinship with the staff, and I appreciate how welcoming they are. My volunteer work is often behind the scenes, yet I still feel a connection with the community. It’s allowed me to contribute as many hours as I can to a project that protects and restores the beauty and environment of the Falls and creates a space to share our stories for many generations to come.
Being part of reimagining this spectacular place is meaningful beyond words.”
Willamette Falls Trust is the nonprofit organization raising funds and engaging the community to realize the collective vision for a spectacular Riverwalk at the Falls. This vision includes an overlook at the precipice of the Falls, a connection to Oregon City’s downtown, and opportunities to learn more about the significance of Willamette Falls since time immemorial.
As we curate this collective vision for Willamette Falls, we partner closely with the Willamette Falls Legacy Project—the public-sector collaboration that is managing Riverwalk construction—and our other partners, including:
Confederated Tribes and Bands of The Yakama Nation
Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
Confederated Tribes of The Umatilla Indian Reservations
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
Downtown Oregon City Association
Portland General Electric
Rivers of Life
Travel Oregon/Mt Hood Territory
West Linn Paper
We Love Clean Rivers
Willamette Falls Heritage Foundation
Willamette Falls and Landings Heritage Area Coalition
Oregon City, OR. If you’ve dreamed of getting up-close and personal with Willamette Falls, like those in this artist’s rendering, you won’t have wait much longer. After years of planning and countless rounds of public input, the Willamette Falls Legacy Project has released the final concept design for a riverwalk located on the Oregon City side of the Willamette.
Willamette Falls Legacy Project Foundation supporters gathered on May 31st to hear from a team of architects who explained that the riverwalk will feature promenades along the river and pathways lofting through the former industrial site on the southern banks of the Willamette, adjacent to downtown Oregon City.
Plans for the riverwalk incorporate a number of existing structures still standing on the site, leftover from a century of industry.
The Willamette Falls Legacy Project is a collaborative partnership between Oregon City, Clackamas County, Metro and the State of Oregon. Carlotta Colette, Metro Councilor for District 2 calls the Willamette Falls Legacy Project one of Oregon’s most important public space projects. “It will give Oregonians and visitors an up-close experience of one the most beautiful and significant places in the state—a place that the general public has not been able to access for 150 years.”
Willamette Falls is the second largest waterfall in North America by volume and an important cultural site for Native American tribes, who have gathered, fished and traded there for millennia.
In 1889, Willamette Falls was the location of the country’s first long-distance electrical transmission, when electricity generated at the falls was used to power a string of electrical lights 14 miles away in Portland.
Settlers in Oregon City used the falls to power a series of industrial facilities, including woolen, flour and paper mills. After the Blue Heron paper mill closed in 2011, Metro, Oregon City, Clackamas County and the State of Oregon formed the Willamette Falls Legacy Project to create a public riverwalk for people to view Willamette Falls. It will be built on a portion of the 22-acre site, and planners want to establish a public-private strategy to spur redevelopment of the entire site, which is privately owned by Falls Legacy LLC.
Since 2013, the Willamette Falls Legacy Project has collected the input of thousands of community members from across the state in public meetings, events and surveys, using this feedback to guide a process that culminated in the unveiling of riverwalk design.
Groundbreaking and the start of construction for the riverwalk is expected to begin in 2018. Construction of Phase I of the riverwalk is expected to be completed in 2022.
“This is a game-changer for our community. We are opening up a spectacular place to people, and when they come, it will mean new opportunities for our businesses and residents.” —Oregon City Mayor Dan Holladay
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