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Authority Board Members

Chair Christine Lewis

Metro Council

Russ Axelrod

Vice Chair, Geologist and Former Mayor, West Linn

Sandy Carter

Secretary

Tootie Smith

Clackamas County Board Chair

David Penilton

Oregon Tourism Commission/MERC Commission

Mini Sharma Ogle

Portland General Electric

Robert Kentta

Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians

Denyse McGriff

Treasurer, Oregon City Mayor

Chris Mercier

Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Vice Chair

Mary Baumgardner

West Linn Council President

Vacant

Maritime Industry

Ex-Officio Board Members

Rep. Jules Waters
Sen. Mark Meek
Sen. Daniel Bonham
Rep. James Hieb

Why did the Willamette Falls Locks close?

The Willamette Falls Locks closed to the public in December of 2011 under an emergency authority to protect life and property, and the Locks moved to “Caretaker” status. Scott Clemans, a spokesman for the Corps’ Portland division, told the Oregonian in 2011 that "“[t]he level of risk of something bad happening has reached the point where we cannot in good conscience  continue operating those locks for any reason,” he said. “At this point, given funding constraints that we’ve been operating under, we just don’t know if or when we’re going to be able to make any of the repairs needed to return the locks to operational status.”

Historical Timeline of the Willamette Falls Canal & Locks

  • 1873 Construction of the locks was completed. The little steamboat Maria Wilkins, loaded with Governors and other VIPS, locked through the Canal just before the deadline on January 1, marking the first significant navigational improvement west of the Rockies, immediately cutting Willamette freight rates by 50%. 
     

  • 1915 The USACE bought the Canal and Locks for $375,000 from Portland Railway, Light & Power (PRL&P), thereby providing free passage around the Falls. Thousands gathered in a parade to witness the transfer of the locks from private to public ownership. In 1912-13, the Oregon Legislature and the US government had each appropriated $300,000 for additional improvements to the Locks. 
     

  • 2011 A Federal inspection identified three significant issues: seepage, seismic, and safety issues around gudgeon anchor assemblies.  The Locks closed in December under an emergency authority to protect life and property, and the Locks moved to “Caretaker” status. The Locks Park and museum closed to the public.
     

  • 2015 The Willamette Falls Locks Task Force (The Task Force) was established through Senate Bill 131 to compile information related to the historic, economic, cultural, recreational and other current and potential future values of the Willamette Falls Navigation Canal and Locks. The Task Force, which included Tribal and appointed local, regional and state representatives, met six times between January and September 2016 to review and develop information to advance a potential future transfer of ownership of this important national and regional asset.
     

  • 2017 SB 256 followed the Task Force’s recommendations, enlisting Oregon Solutions to facilitate a new Willamette Falls Locks Commission. The group, again including elected officials and tribal representatives, was charged with developing strategies for the repair, reopening, and future transfer of the Locks out of federal ownership.
     

  • 2021 HB 2564 established the Willamette Falls Locks Authority as a public corporation. Mission: Establish ownership, oversight and management of the navigation locks and canal to enhance Oregon’s economic vitality.
     

  • 2023 The Locks celebrated its 150th birthday – with a gathering of 75 partners in West Linn’s public library. In Salem, legislators unanimously approved HCR 20, honoring the canal’s historic record of service and its ongoing importance to Oregon.

2023 milestones reached:

  • Worked with the Governor’s office to appoint Authority members (10 of 11 seats currently filled)

  • Launched real estate transfer discussions with the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE)

  • Adopted Bylaws

  • Built and secured dynamic funding relationships with 12 public and private partners

  • Broadened the Locks’ coalition

  • Hired an Executive Director

  • Developed founding financial, administrative and governing documents

  • Worked closely with the ACOE as it starts the seismic retrofit (federally funded)

What you can expect from the Willamette Falls Locks Authority moving forward:

  • Negotiate and oversee transfer of the Locks from the ACOE by 2027

  • Further broaden Locks’ partnerships

  • Secure the rest of the funding needed to match already committed resources ($7.2M) to complete capital upgrades required for modern operation and seismic redundancy

  • Manage capital improvements

  • Oversee environmental conditions

  • Negotiate operating agreements

  • Develop a permanent funding plan for operation

  • Protect and maintain core National Historic Register values through perpetual preservation agreements and partnerships 

  • Promote commercial use of the locks through collaboration with economic development entities, tourism and private industry

  • Return operational Locks to the community

Questions?

Contact Reed Wagner at Reed@willamettefallslocks.org for any questions.

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