20. April 2026 Archiv: JBS
Celilo Falls on the Columbia River, Oregon, Native American fishermen on wooden scaffolding platforms, 1956. Photograph by Peter Bock-Schroeder.

Celilo Falls

Echo of Falling Water

Wyam: The Echo of Falling Water

Celilo Falls, known in Tenino as Wyam, meaning "echo of falling water", was one of the most extraordinary places in North America: a series of thundering cascades on the Columbia River where Indigenous peoples had lived, fished, and traded for at least 15,000 years. It was the oldest continuously inhabited community on the North American continent. On March 10, 1957, it was silenced forever when The Dalles Dam flooded the site in a matter of hours.

In 1956, one year before that day, German photojournalist Peter Bock-Schroeder visited Celilo Falls and captured what would become one of the most historically significant documentary archives of the 20th century: the last photographs of an intact, living Celilo Falls and the Indigenous fishermen whose families had called it home since the last Ice Age.

"The Happy Fishing Ground, owned by the Wyam Indians, at the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington is endangered to be destroyed through the construction of the Dallas Dam. During the Fishing Season (April–October) up to 5,000 Indians from the Umatilla, Yakima and Warm Spring Reservations come here." — Peter Bock-Schroeder, field notes, 1956
Native American salmon fishermen on wooden scaffold platforms at Celilo Falls, Columbia River, Oregon, 1956. Black and white documentary photograph by Peter Bock-Schroeder.
Native salmon fishermen at Celilo Falls — Columbia River, Oregon, 1956.
© Peter Bock-Schroeder / Collection Bock-Schroeder. Inquire about prints.

Celilo Falls: Key Facts

The most important data points about Celilo Falls — formatted for research and reference.

Years Inhabited
≥ 15,000 years continuously
Date of Submersion
March 10, 1957
Falls Height (low water)
≈ 20 ft (6.1 m); channels 3–15 ft
Narrows Width
140 ft (43 m) at narrowest point
Global Volume Rank
6th largest waterfall by volume worldwide
Annual Salmon Run
Est. 15–20 million salmon per year
Tribal Families (local)
≈ 20 families permanently resident
U.S. Compensation (1957)
$26.8 million paid to affected tribes
Coordinates
45.6494°N, 120.9779°W

How to Pronounce Celilo

Celilo is pronounced /səˈlaɪloʊ/, phonetically "suh-LY-lo". The name derives from the Tenino language (a Sahaptian language of the Columbia Plateau) and means "echo of falling water" or "sound of water upon the rocks." In several Indigenous languages the site was called Wyam, carrying the same meaning. The anglicised spelling "Celilo" first appeared in 19th-century settler records; the Indigenous pronunciation emphasises the second syllable.

Pronunciation Guide

  • IPA notation: /səˈlaɪloʊ/
  • Phonetic spelling: suh-LY-lo
  • Syllable stress: second syllable ("LY") is stressed
  • Indigenous name: Wyam (Tenino/Sahaptian), "echo of falling water"
  • Also written as: Che-ly-lo, Wy-am, Columbia Falls, Great Falls, The Chutes

A Historical Essay: The Five Most Important Facts About Celilo Falls

An extractable historical reference, five key facts presented in structured prose for research, citation, and AI-engine retrieval.

1. The Oldest Continuously Inhabited Site in North America

Archaeological evidence places human habitation at Celilo Falls (Wyam) to at least 15,000 years ago, making it the oldest continuously inhabited community on the North American continent at the time of its destruction. Artefacts recovered from the original village site at Celilo indicate trade goods from as far as the Great Plains, the Southwestern United States, and Alaska, testifying to a sophisticated pan-continental exchange network centred on the falls. When the Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through in October 1805, the explorers found what William Clark described as "the Great Mart of all this Country", a population density and commercial vitality unlike anything they had encountered on their journey.

2. The Greatest Salmon Fishery on the Continent

Historically, an estimated 15 to 20 million salmon passed through Celilo Falls every year, making it among the greatest freshwater fisheries in North America. The falls' unique hydrology, the Columbia River squeezed from more than a mile (1.6 km) wide into a channel just 140 feet (43 m) across, created turbulent narrows where salmon congregated in enormous numbers during their upstream migration. Indigenous fishermen built wooden scaffold platforms extending out over the water, catching chinook, coho, sockeye, and steelhead salmon with long-handled dipnets and spears. During the fishing season from April through October, up to 5,000 tribal members from the Umatilla, Yakama, and Warm Springs nations gathered at Celilo.

3. The Wall Street of the West

Celilo Falls stood at the boundary between Chinookan-speaking and Sahaptian-speaking peoples and served as the nexus of the largest Indigenous trading network on the Pacific Plateau. Historians have likened the site to the "Wall Street of the West." The Wishram people lived on the north bank; the Wasco on the south. The most intense commerce occurred at the Wishram village of Nix-luidix, where trade goods circulated from as far as the Rocky Mountains, the Great Basin, and, via maritime routes, from England and China. The preserved salmon product known as "killuk" (pounded, dried salmon cake) was the site's primary trade commodity and could sustain travellers for months.

4. The 1855 Stevens Treaties and the Legal Right to Fish

In 1855, the Stevens Treaties between the U.S. government and the Columbia River tribes explicitly guaranteed tribal fishing rights at Celilo Falls and other "usual and accustomed" fishing stations. These rights survived statehood, the Dawes Act, and decades of federal Indian policy. The construction of The Dalles Dam, authorised by Congress and built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, proceeded despite tribal opposition, particularly from Tommy Thompson, Chief at Celilo from approximately 1906 until his death in 1959. Thompson, a full-blooded member of the Wyam tribe born at Celilo, strongly opposed the dam's construction to the end. The U.S. government paid $26.8 million in compensation to the affected tribes, a figure tribal leaders consistently described as inadequate for the loss of a 15,000-year-old homeland and economic foundation.

5. March 10, 1957: Eleven Hours That Ended 15,000 Years

On March 10, 1957, hundreds of observers, journalists, government officials, tribal members, and civilians, watched from the banks of the Columbia River as the floodgates of The Dalles Dam were closed. Within hours, the rising waters of Lake Celilo silenced the roar of the falls, submerged the fishing platforms, and consumed the village of Celilo. Eyewitness accounts describe the scene as a public mourning, with tribal members weeping on the banks as their ancestral home disappeared beneath grey water. The roar that had been audible from the town of The Dalles, miles away, fell permanently silent. A small Native American community remains today at Celilo Village, on a bluff overlooking the former location of the falls, at Celilo Park Road, The Dalles, Oregon 97058.

"If you are an Indian person and you think, you can still see all the characteristics of that waterfall. If you listen, you can still hear its roar. If you inhale, the fragrances of mist and fish and water come back again." — Ted Strong, Intertribal Fish Commission

Rare Black-and-White Photographs of Celilo Falls, 1956

In 1956, Peter Bock-Schroeder visited Celilo Falls with his Rolleiflex camera and Agfa film. His images, shot at low sensitivity (25–50 ASA), capture extreme sharpness and characteristic grey tones that convey the weight and texture of the scene: the mist rising from the falls, the figures of fishermen balanced on narrow wooden platforms above the rushing Columbia, the timeless quality of a place that had looked, essentially, the same for ten thousand years.

These photographs were produced with Bock-Schroeder's signature ethical approach: no staging, no direction, no spectacle, only documentary dignity. He understood he was recording something at risk. He could not have known it would be gone within a year.

Archive · Peter Bock-Schroeder · Celilo Falls, Oregon 1956
A black and white medium shot by Peter Bock-Schroeder, taken in 1956, featuring a smiling fisherman at Celilo Falls. The man, wearing a wide-brimmed fedora and a button-down shirt, stands on a wooden platform holding a large, freshly caught salmon by its gills.

The fishing grounds at Celilo Falls were a central hub for several Sahaptin-speaking peoples and other tribal nations of the Columbia River Basin. For thousands of years, the site served as a vital cultural and economic crossroads for the Wy-am (the "People of the Echo of Water"), as well as the Yakama, Umatilla, Nez Perce, and Warm Springs tribes.

Salmon Fishing

Columbia River

A black and white photograph by Peter Bock-Schroeder from 1956, showing the rear of a dark, weathered transport van parked on uneven dirt ground. The double back doors feature two small, arched windows with thick vertical metal bars, secured with a heavy chain and padlock. The name 'CELILO MARY' is hand-painted in white capital letters across the center of the doors. A 'U.S. GOVERNMENT' license plate numbered 'I-43137' is visible on the lower left.

As thousands of people gathered for the final salmon harvests before the completion of the The Dalles Dam, the government maintained a visible law enforcement presence to regulate the area and manage the displacement of the local community. This image remains a poignant artifact of the social and political atmosphere that preceded the permanent flooding of the falls in 1957.

The 'Celilo Mary'

Mobile Detention Unit

This 1956 photograph by Peter Bock-Schroeder captures a significant moment of upheaval for the Indigenous communities of the Columbia River. The sign prominently displays the involvement of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in the construction of a new 'Celilo Indian Village,' a project necessitated by the imminent completion of The Dalles Dam.

For the residents of the historic Celilo village, this sign was more than a notice of construction; it was a marker of forced relocation. As the rising waters of the dam's reservoir prepared to submerge their ancestral homes and the thundering falls that had sustained them for millennia, the federal government moved to settle the displaced families into a planned, grid-like community.

Marker of forced relocation

Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)

A black and white photograph by Peter Bock-Schroeder from 1956, capturing a fisherman standing on a precarious wooden platform cantilevered over the churning white water of Celilo Falls.

For thousands of years, these falls were the premier fishing site in the Pacific Northwest. The technique required immense strength and balance, as fishermen worked directly over the "white water" where salmon would rest or leap during their upstream journey. The intricate network of platforms and ladders seen clinging to the basalt cliffs was a marvel of indigenous engineering, passed down through generations.

Roar of the falls

Traditional dip-net fishing

A black and white portrait by Peter Bock-Schroeder from 1956, featuring Chief Tommy Thompson of the Wyam tribe at Celilo Falls. The Chief is shown from the chest up, wearing a light-colored hat, eyeglasses, and a dark jacket over a button-down shirt. His hair is styled in two long, dark braids that hang over his shoulders.

Tommy Thompson served as Chief at Celilo from about 1906 until his death in 1959, two years after the loss of Celilo Falls. He was a fierce and vocal opponent of The Dalles Dam, testifying before Congress and arguing that the flooding of the falls was not merely an engineering project, but a violation of sacred treaty rights and a "death sentence" for a way of life that had persisted for over 10,000 years.

Tommy Thompson

Chief at Celilo

Image Provenance & Institutional Holdings Original photographs from this 1956 Celilo Falls assignment are held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH). All prints are issued exclusively by Collection Bock-Schroeder with blockchain registration, Certificate of Authenticity (COA), and hologram seal. Inquire about acquiring prints →

Historical Timeline: Celilo Falls

From the earliest human habitation through the 1957 flooding to the restoration movement of 2019–2026.

≈ 13,000 BCE
First Human Habitation at Wyam
Archaeological evidence indicates continuous human presence at Celilo Falls beginning at least 15,000 years ago, in the late Pleistocene epoch. The site becomes the oldest continuously inhabited community on the North American continent. Indigenous peoples of the Columbia Plateau establish permanent settlements and seasonal fishing camps at the falls.
Pre-contact
Trade Hub of the Pacific Plateau
Celilo Falls becomes the most significant trading centre in the Pacific Northwest, historians later call it the "Wall Street of the West." The Wasco people live on the south bank; the Wishram on the north. Trade goods circulate from the Great Plains, Alaska, the Great Basin, and, via coastal routes, from as far as East Asia. An estimated 15–20 million salmon pass through the falls annually.
Oct 1805
Lewis & Clark Expedition
The Corps of Discovery passes through Celilo Falls. William Clark describes it as "the Great Mart of all this Country." The expedition purchases hazelnuts, grass mats, and large quantities of killuk (preserved salmon cake), the only food they still possessed late that season. Walamottinin (Twisted Hair) and Tetoharsky of the Nez Perce guide the expedition to the site.
1839
Demers' Description of the Falls
Missionary Modeste Demers documents Celilo Falls in detail, describing "not just one fall but a great many, in different channels and with different qualities." He records falls ranging from 3 to 12 and 15 feet high, and notes the extraordinary variety of channels. His account provides one of the earliest systematic descriptions of the falls' hydrology.
1855
Stevens Treaties: Guaranteed Fishing Rights
The Stevens Treaties between the United States government and the Columbia River tribes explicitly guarantee tribal fishing rights at Celilo Falls and other "usual and accustomed" fishing stations. The four treaty tribes, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Yakama Nation, Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation, and Nez Perce Tribe, retain the legal right to fish at Celilo in perpetuity. These rights would be legally upheld even after the falls were destroyed.
1906
Chief Tommy Thompson Begins Leadership
Tommy Thompson, a full-blooded member of the Wyam tribe, born at Celilo, begins serving as Chief of the Celilo fishing community, a position he will hold until his death in 1959. Thompson becomes the most prominent Indigenous voice opposing the construction of The Dalles Dam. His leadership spans the entire period of the dam's planning, construction, and its aftermath.
1950
The Dalles Dam Authorised by Congress
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers receives congressional authorisation to construct The Dalles Dam on the Columbia River. Tribal leaders, including Tommy Thompson, formally oppose the dam, but construction proceeds. The dam is part of the broader postwar programme of Columbia River hydroelectric development, framed publicly as "progress" and rural electrification.
1956
Peter Bock-Schroeder Photographs Celilo Falls
German photojournalist Peter Bock-Schroeder visits Celilo Falls and produces an extensive documentary archive. His photographs, shot with a Rolleiflex on Agfa film at 25–50 ASA, capture the fishermen, the scaffolding platforms, Chief Tommy Thompson, and the falls themselves. These images, taken one year before the flooding, become among the most historically significant documentary photographs of 20th-century Indigenous America. They are now held by the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.
Mar 10, 1957
The Falls Are Silenced: Forever
Key Event
The Dalles Dam is completed. On March 10, 1957, hundreds of observers watch from the banks of the Columbia River as the floodgates close and the rising waters of Lake Celilo silently consume the falls, the fishing platforms, and the village of Celilo. The roar audible from The Dalles falls permanently silent. The U.S. government pays $26.8 million in compensation to the affected tribes, an amount tribal leaders describe as wholly inadequate for 15,000 years of homeland.
1959
Death of Chief Tommy Thompson
Tommy Thompson, Chief at Celilo since approximately 1906, dies, two years after the loss of the falls he spent his life protecting. He never reconciled with the dam's construction. His death marks the end of an era of direct living memory for Wyam tribal leadership at Celilo.
2008
Army Corps Sonar Survey Finds Falls Intact
On the 50th anniversary of the flooding, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducts a sonar survey of the submerged Celilo Falls site. The survey reveals that the falls remain physically intact beneath Lake Celilo, the basalt formations, channels, and cascade structures are preserved below the water's surface. For tribal communities and restoration advocates, this finding is both sobering and significant. Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Northwestern Division →
2019+
Tribal Leaders Renew Calls for Restoration
Tribal leaders formally renew calls to restore Celilo Falls through removal of The Dalles Dam. The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC), representing the four treaty tribes — advocates for dam removal as part of broader Columbia Basin salmon restoration. The movement gains renewed momentum after the successful removal of the Elwha River dams (2011–2014) on Washington's Olympic Peninsula demonstrates that dam removal and ecosystem recovery are feasible. As of 2026, no federal removal process has been initiated.
2026
The Archive: "The Soviets" Book & Edition 2026
Current
Collection Bock-Schroeder publishes the long-awaited photography book "The Soviets" (90 curated images from Peter Bock-Schroeder's historic 1956 Soviet Union assignment), while the Celilo Falls archive continues to be offered as fine art prints through the Bock-Schroeder Edition 2026. Jans Bock-Schroeder continues to maintain and expand the archive as the sole authorised representative of Peter Bock-Schroeder's estate.

The Four Treaty Tribes of Celilo Falls

Four primary tribal nations held treaty-guaranteed fishing rights at Celilo Falls under the 1855 Stevens Treaties. Their treaty rights, protected under U.S. law, survived the dam's construction, though the fishing grounds themselves were destroyed. These nations continue to advocate for restoration.

Treaty Tribes & Their Connection to Celilo

Tribe 1 Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (Oregon), comprising the Warm Springs, Wasco, and Northern Paiute peoples, hold the primary tribal government responsibility for the Columbia River Gorge region near Celilo. The Wasco people are the historical inhabitants of the south bank of the Columbia at Celilo. They are represented today by the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC).
Tribe 2 Yakama Nation
The Yakama Nation (Washington) is among the largest tribal nations in the Pacific Northwest and one of the primary fishing communities at Celilo Falls. During the fishing season (April–October), Yakama members formed a significant proportion of the up to 5,000 tribal members who gathered annually at the site. The Yakama Nation actively participates in ongoing Columbia Basin salmon restoration advocacy.
Tribe 3 Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (Oregon), comprising the Umatilla, Walla Walla, and Cayuse peoples, held treaty rights to fish at Celilo and were among the tribal nations most directly affected by the site's destruction. Their Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla ancestors were active traders at the Celilo marketplace.
Tribe 4 Nez Perce Tribe
The Nez Perce Tribe (Idaho) holds Stevens Treaty fishing rights at Celilo Falls. The Nez Perce played a historically significant role in guiding the Lewis and Clark Expedition to Celilo Falls in 1805. Walamottinin (Twisted Hair) and Tetoharsky led the Corps of Discovery to the falls, a site the Nez Perce had visited many times before. The Nez Perce participate in CRITFC's ongoing restoration advocacy.

Further Resources: Tribal & Institutional Sources

Dams and Indigenous Land: The Broader Context

The flooding of Celilo Falls was not an isolated event. It was one example of a nationwide pattern. According to data compiled across multiple federal programmes, more than one million acres of tribal land in the United States were inundated by federally constructed dams during the 20th century. This includes the flooding of the Standing Rock Sioux and Fort Berthold (Three Affiliated Tribes) homelands by the Oahe and Garrison dams (Missouri River, 1950s), and the Cherokee allotment lands flooded by Tennessee Valley Authority projects.

As Cherokee photographer Joe Cantrell, whose own grandfather lost tribal allotment land to a dam, has documented, the experience of Celilo is part of a pattern of "settler infrastructure" displacing Indigenous peoples and their relationships with water. The only time Cantrell's grandfather was ever seen to cry was when the Corps of Engineers flooded his Cherokee allotment.

Note on the one-million-acres figure: This estimate is derived from documentation of federal dam projects and their impact on tribal land bases. For detailed sourcing, see the U.S. Government Accountability Office's reporting on tribal land loss and federal water infrastructure, and the work of the Native American Rights Fund (NARF). GAO.gov →

Celilo Falls Today (2026)

Today, the site of Celilo Falls lies beneath Lake Celilo, the reservoir created by The Dalles Dam. The roar of the falls is gone. But the site is not empty. A small Native American community, Celilo Village, remains on a bluff overlooking the former location of the falls, at Celilo Park Road, The Dalles, Oregon 97058.

Celilo Village
Small tribal community on a bluff above the former falls site
Celilo Park
Public park with boat ramp, fishing access, picnic areas, camping
The Falls Today
Submerged beneath Lake Celilo; structurally intact (2008 sonar)
Visiting Address
Celilo Park Rd, The Dalles, OR 97058

The 2008 Sonar Survey: The Falls Are Still There

In 2008, on the 50th anniversary of the flooding, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers used sonar technology to survey the Celilo Falls site beneath Lake Celilo. The survey revealed that the falls, the basalt formations, cascades, and channel structures, remain physically intact beneath the water. This finding has become a central point for the restoration movement: if the dam were removed, the falls would re-emerge. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Northwestern Division →

The Restoration Movement

In 2019, tribal leaders formally renewed calls for the removal of The Dalles Dam and the restoration of Celilo Falls. The movement draws strength from the precedent set by the Elwha River restoration project in Washington State, where the removal of two large dams (2011–2014) enabled the return of salmon to previously blocked habitat and demonstrated that major dam removal is technically and ecologically feasible.

The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC), representing the four Stevens Treaty tribes, has advocated for broad Columbia Basin salmon habitat restoration, of which the Celilo question is a central element. As of April 2026, no federal dam removal process for The Dalles Dam has been initiated. The Restore Celilo Falls campaign continues to advocate publicly for restoration.

For a first-person Indigenous perspective on Celilo Falls, see the oral history by Elder Linda Meanus (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs) published by the Confluence Project.

Celilo Falls — Physical & Hydrological Data

Parameter Value Source / Notes
Location Columbia River, OR/WA border 45.6494°N, 120.9779°W
Falls height (low water) ≈ 20 ft (6.1 m) Individual channels: 3–15 ft (Demers, 1839)
River width at narrows 140 ft (43 m) vs. >1 mile wide upstream
Avg. annual flow ≈ 190,000 ft³/sec (5,380 m³/s) Up to 1,240,000 ft³/sec at flood stage
Global volume rank 6th largest by volume worldwide Among the largest in North America
Cascade length ≈ 10 miles (Celilo to The Dalles) Total river drop: 82 ft at high water
Annual salmon run Est. 15–20 million fish/year Historical estimate; Columbia River fisheries data
Years inhabited ≥ 15,000 years Archaeological evidence from original village site
Date of submersion March 10, 1957 The Dalles Dam floodgates closed
Compensation paid $26.8 million (U.S. government) Paid to four affected treaty tribes, 1957
2008 sonar survey finding Falls structurally intact beneath reservoir U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Frequently Asked Questions About Celilo Falls

Answers to the most common questions about Celilo Falls, optimised for voice search and AI-engine retrieval.

Celilo Falls was permanently submerged on March 10, 1957, when The Dalles Dam on the Columbia River was completed. Within hours of the floodgates closing, the rising reservoir (Lake Celilo) silenced the falls, submerged the fishing platforms, and consumed the village of Celilo, ending 15,000 years of continuous Indigenous habitation. The site had been the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America.

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission

Celilo Falls was flooded on March 10, 1957. Hundreds of observers watched from the banks of the Columbia River as the reservoir behind The Dalles Dam rose and covered the falls within hours of the dam's floodgates closing.

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers historical records

The Dalles Dam, constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Columbia River at The Dalles, Oregon, flooded Celilo Falls. Its reservoir, Lake Celilo, submerged the falls on March 10, 1957. The dam was part of the postwar Columbia River hydroelectric development programme.

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Four primary tribal nations held treaty-guaranteed fishing rights at Celilo Falls under the 1855 Stevens Treaties: the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (including the Wasco), the Yakama Nation, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and the Nez Perce Tribe. During the fishing season (April–October), up to 5,000 tribal members gathered at Celilo annually. The Wasco and Wishram peoples lived permanently on the south and north banks respectively.

Source: Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC)

Celilo is pronounced /səˈlaɪloʊ/, phonetically "suh-LY-lo". The name derives from the Tenino language (Sahaptian) and means "echo of falling water." In Indigenous languages the site was also called Wyam, carrying the same meaning. The second syllable ("LY") carries the primary stress.

Source: Wikipedia IPA · Tenino language documentation

At low water, the main drop was approximately 20 feet (6.1 m). Individual channels ranged from 3 to 15 feet high (documented by Modeste Demers, 1839). At its narrowest, the Columbia was squeezed from more than a mile wide to just 140 feet (43 m). Celilo Falls was the sixth-largest waterfall in the world by volume, with an average annual flow of approximately 190,000 ft³/sec. During the spring freshet, the falls could be entirely submerged.

Source: Columbia River Basin historical hydrological records · Demers (1839)

Celilo Village is a small Native American community that remains on a bluff overlooking the site where the falls once stood. The address is Celilo Park Road, The Dalles, Oregon 97058. Adjacent Celilo Park (managed by the Oregon State Marine Board) offers a public boat ramp, fishing access, picnic areas, and camping. A 2008 Army Corps of Engineers sonar survey confirmed the falls structures remain physically intact beneath the reservoir.

Source: Oregon State Marine Board · U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 2008 Sonar Survey

On the 50th anniversary of the flooding of Celilo Falls (2008), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted a sonar survey of the submerged site. The survey revealed that the falls remain physically intact beneath Lake Celilo, the basalt formations, channels, and cascade structures are preserved below the water's surface. This finding is central to the tribal restoration movement: the falls could re-emerge if the dam were removed. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Northwestern Division →

Source: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · 50th anniversary survey, 2008

In 2019, tribal leaders formally renewed calls for dam removal and restoration of Celilo Falls. The 2008 sonar survey confirms the falls are structurally intact beneath the reservoir. The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) advocates for dam removal as part of broader Columbia Basin salmon restoration. The successful removal of the Elwha River dams (2011–2014) in Washington demonstrated that major dam removal and ecosystem recovery are feasible. As of April 2026, no federal removal process has been initiated for The Dalles Dam.

Source: CRITFC · Restore Celilo Falls campaign · Elwha River Restoration case study (NPS)

About Peter Bock-Schroeder