Sahalie Falls, Mackenzie River, Oregon

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The sixty eight foot high Sahalie Falls is found in Oregon, just upstream on the Mackenzie River from Koosah Falls. The names for both waterfalls come from 'Chinook Jargon', a local rudimentary trade language used between European traders and native tribes in the mid-1800s. 'Sahalie' means heaven, above, and up high. Because of its use in the Disney movie Homeward Bound, it is perhaps the most famous of the large waterfalls along the Mackenzie River.

Although the Mackenzie River originates just a few miles upstream at Clear Lake, it sustains a high water volume all year long. This is due to the large drainage area to the northeast, which consists largely of lava flows. Water here seeps quickly underground to form one of the largest aquifers in Oregon. The aquifer emerges in the form of springs around Clear Lake, helping to make the Mackenzie River one of the most consistent perpetual rivers in the northwest.