wGawgos kčal (Moonshine Falls)

For millennia, Native Americans gathered at wGawgos kčal (Moonshine Falls or Fishing Falls) to fish. In 1958, the falls was silenced when PacifiCorp built Big Bend Dam almost directly atop it. Over time, the exact location of the falls faded from memory. Had it been blasted away to make room for the dam? Or did it lie just upstream, submerged but intact?

The answer only became clear after the dam—later renamed J.C. Boyle Dam—was removed in 2024. Evidence suggests the falls was altered during construction, but much of it remains just downstream of the former dam site. As of late 2024, the newly undammed river continues to shift through wGawgos kčal. Instead of the distinct rocky ledge shown in pre-dam photos, the site now resembles a congested, rocky, brushy channel. Boaters should be aware of significant pin potential.

About this rapid's name: wGawgos kčal (pronounced wah-GOW-goss k-chahl) is the Modoc language name of the falls now commonly known as Moonshine Falls.