Celilo Falls

Celilo Falls was on the Columbia River.

It sat near the Cascade Mountains. Many people lived there for a long time. They went there to catch salmon.

The water moved through narrow rocks. This made loud sounds. The falls were very big. They were among the largest in North America. In 1957, a dam was built. The rising water covered the falls. Now, the falls sit under a lake. People still remember this special place.

Celilo Falls was a famous place on the Columbia River.

It sat near the Cascade Mountains. The name means "sound of water upon the rocks."

For 15,000 years, many people lived there. It was one of the oldest communities in North America.

The falls were very large. The river squeezed through narrow rocks. This made many waterfalls and rapids. The falls were the sixth-largest in the world by volume. Every year, millions of salmon swam through the water. Native people used nets and spears to catch them. They also traded goods from far away. Some items came from as far as Alaska.

In the 1950s, things changed. A new dam called The Dalles Dam was built. In 1957, the rising water covered the falls. The village and the fishing sites went under the lake. Today, a small community lives nearby at Celilo Village. A sonar study in 2008 showed the rocks are still there. They stay hidden under the water.

Celilo Falls was a famous and vital place on the Columbia River.

It sat just east of the Cascade Mountains. This location is near the border of Oregon and Washington. The name Celilo comes from native languages. It means "echo of falling water" or "sound of water upon the rocks."

For 15,000 years, people lived and traded in this area. It was the oldest continuously inhabited community on the North American continent.

This made the area a very important center for many different cultures.

The falls were created by the river pushing through narrow basalt rocks.

The river is often more than a mile wide. However, at the falls, it squeezed into a width of only 140 feet. This squeezing created many different sections. There was a section called Horseshoe Falls or Tumwater Falls. There was also a deep area known as the Cul-de-Sac. The falls were the sixth-largest in the world by volume. During high water, as much as 1,240,000 cubic feet of water passed over every second. This huge amount of water changed how the falls looked throughout the year.

Native peoples used the falls for fishing and trading for many centuries.

They built wooden platforms over the water to catch salmon. They used long spears and dipnets to grab fish as they jumped. An estimated fifteen to twenty million salmon passed through every year. This made it one of the greatest fishing sites in North America. People also came there to trade goods from far away. Some items arrived from the Great Plains, the Southwest, and even Alaska. This made the area a melting pot of different cultures.

In the early 1800s, explorers like Lewis and Clark visited the area.

They saw it as a great place where many nations met. Later, in the 1950s, the landscape changed forever. Leaders wanted to build dams to make electricity and help ships move. The Dalles Dam was built to meet these needs. In 1957, the rising water of Lake Celilo covered the falls. The village and the ancient fishing sites were submerged under the water. This ended a way of life that had lasted for thousands of years.

Today, the memory of Celilo Falls stays very strong. A small community lives at Celilo Village on a nearby bluff. In 2008, experts used sonar to look under the lake.

The survey showed that the falls are still intact below the surface. The rocky basins and channels are still there. Some tribal leaders have even called to restore the falls. They want to help the salmon and the river again. Even though the water is deep, the history of the place remains important.

Celilo Falls was a vital geographic and cultural landmark on the Columbia River.

It was located just east of the Cascade Mountains. The site sat on the modern border between Oregon and Washington. The name Celilo comes from native languages. It means "echo of falling water" or "sound of water upon the rocks."

For 15,000 years, people lived and gathered in this area. It was the oldest continuously inhabited community on the North American continent. This longevity made it a central hub for many different indigenous groups.

The physical structure of the falls was shaped by the river's power. The Columbia River is often more than a mile wide. At this specific point, the water squeezed into basalt narrows only 140 feet wide.

This constriction created a complex series of cascades and rapids. The main waterfall consisted of three distinct parts. These included a cataract called Horseshoe Falls or Tumwater Falls. It also included a deep eddy known as the Cul-de-Sac and a main channel. These features were formed by the river pushing through hard basalt rock.

The volume and appearance of the falls changed with the seasons. The average annual flow was about 190,000 cubic feet per second. During floods, the flow could reach 1,240,000 cubic feet per second.

This made the falls the sixth-largest in the world by volume. In the summer, the water level was relatively low. In June and July, the spring freshet could submerge the falls completely. Modeste Demers observed in 1839 that the falls varied from 3 to 15 feet high. The seasonal changes radically altered the nature of the rapids.

Celilo Falls served as a massive center for fishing and trade.

Native peoples built wooden platforms over the water. They used dipnets and long spears to catch salmon. An estimated 15 to 20 million salmon passed through the falls every year. This made it one of the greatest fishing sites in North America. The site sat at the border of Chinookan and Sahaptian speaking peoples. It acted as a "melting pot" where different cultures met to exchange goods. Artifacts show trade items arrived from the Great Plains, the Southwest, and Alaska.

Early explorers were often amazed by the site's activity. The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through in 1805. They described it as a "great emporium" where many nations assembled. Historians have compared the area to the "Wall Street of the West." The Wishram people lived on the north bank. The Wasco people lived on the south bank. The most intense trading happened at the Wishram village of Nix-luidix. Other explorers, like Charles Wilkes, called it one of the most remarkable places on the river.

In the mid-20th century, the landscape was changed by industrial needs. Growing populations in the Pacific Northwest required more electricity. This energy was needed for aluminum production and shipbuilding. During World War II, 96 percent of the river's electricity went to war manufacturing. To meet this demand, the government decided to build The Dalles Dam. The Army Corps of Engineers began construction in 1952. In 1957, the rising waters of Lake Celilo submerged the falls and the village. This ended a way of life that had lasted for millennia.

Despite being underwater, the legacy of Celilo Falls continues. A small Native American community lives at Celilo Village on a nearby bluff. In 2008, a sonar survey was conducted to see the site.

The survey showed the falls remain intact below the surface. The rocky outcrops and carved basins still match old photographs. In 2019, tribal leaders called for the restoration of the falls. They noted that the reservoir has made the river water hotter. They also pointed to the decline in salmon populations as a reason for change.