Celilo Falls

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.