Willamette Falls has long been a place of deep spiritual and cultural importance for Northwest tribes, as well a hub of local industry. It has also, on occasion, been a place of tragedy and terror.
The case of California kayaker Marcelus Angelo Rodriguez, who went missing after going over the roaring waterfall last weekend, is another reminder of the powerful force of Willamette Falls.
While measuring only 42 feet tall, the horseshoe-shaped waterfall is 1,500 feet wide and ranks among the largest in the world by volume. Its massive flow, combined with sharp basalt rocks at its base, makes it a particularly perilous spot. Warnings about the waterfall are posted along the river…