Eugene says goodbye to 80-year-old College Hill Reservoir. Here's what happens next

Community members said goodbye this week to the College Hill Reservoir, which has become a staple in Eugene over the past 80 years.

Hundreds milled around the cement slabs, eating food from foods trucks, drawing with chalk, enjoying live music, rollerblading, riding scooters and skateboards, and chatting with fellow community members during a special farewell event on Thursday.

The Eugene Water & Electric Board organized the event to allow community members one last large gathering at the reservoir, at Lawrence St. and 23rd Ave. Two 7.5 million gallon tanks will be built in its place, with construction to begin this year. The site is set to be closed off to the public shortly.

"We really just wanted to celebrate the recreational opportunity that the reservoir has provided for the last over 80 years," said Laura Laura Farthing, EWEB's principal water engineer. "We live in the community. We know that this is a valued place for people.

"We really wanted to have a send-off and really honor what it's given the community."

The reservoir will be replaced by two new earthquake-proof drinking water storage tanks. Farthing said EWEB estimates the project will take about three years to complete.

Community members and groups remembered fondly the years that the reservoir has served as a gathering place.

Mara Besonen came to the farewell with two children she nannies. She said she had been coming to the reservoir for 20 years. Over the years, Besonen has looked through telescopes and watched fireworks from the reservoir. One of the girls she nannies had learned to ride a bike on the smooth cement.

"It's a great place to play," Besonen said. "I feel sad (to see if go)."

Amy Goodwin had been frequenting the reservoir for a shorter time but still felt attached to the space. She had been taking her three daughters regularly to roller skate and scooter across the cement for the past year.

"We didn't want to miss the last chance (to skate)," Goodwin said. "My kids are gonna have memories of this long after it's gone."

Goodwin said the reservoir offers "good clean fun," and is a rare spot in the Eugene community. She said she and her family have tried going to places as far as the Roseburg YMCA for skating. There's nowhere in town that compares as far as space and convenience.

She added she would like to see another wide-open, flat surface in the future at the College Hill site.

"It's been nice to have a real community," Goodwin said. "There aren't as many community places as there used to be ... Just people having a good time just for the fun of recreation and getting out."

Community groups seek new home

With the closure of the College Hill Reservoir, some community groups that have used the wide open space will need to find a new place to gather.

The Eugene Astronomical Society has been meeting at the reservoir for decades. Jerry Oltion, a longtime member of EAS, said the group has been gathering there more consistently for the past 18 years, hosting monthly star parties and watching significant cosmic events like the solar eclipse. Oltion said EAS and EWEB have developed a great relationship over the years.

"It's very, very rare to have an open public space that doesn't have a whole bunch of street lights lighting it up at night," Oltion said. "Even the cars passing by the light wasn't bad. So this was this was a really unique spot. There's nothing like it anywhere else in town."

EAS brought out several solar telescopes Thursday evening. Club members pointed out solar prominences to community members gazing through the telescopes.

Oltion said EAS's next two star parties will be hosted at Dexter State Recreation Site, where the club normally goes once a year for a special viewing. He said the park is great for viewing, but it doesn't have the same community appeal. At the reservoir, Oltion said people walking or driving through the surrounding neighborhood can stumble upon the "star party" sign and walk over to check out the group. Dexter State Recreation Site doesn't have the same foot traffic.

"It's far enough away that we're not going to get a lot of people," Oltion said. "Anybody who wants to go there, they're either going to have to drive or live in Dexter."

Oltion said EAS is looking for a new permanent home in town to host star parties. The group is considering Dorris Ranch in Springfield, but it's yet to be confirmed.

The newly founded Eugene Roller Village has also become a regular at the reservoir. Dozens of skaters could be seen weaving between groups on Thursday.

Eric Lewy, founder of ERV, said the group encourages play and recreation and also advocates for more roller-rink-style spaces in town.

"We encourage people to just come out and express their authentic selves," Lewy said.

The removal of the reservoir will be a big change in the community, according to Lewy, who has been going to the reservoir for the past four years he's lived in Eugene.

"It's just going to be a catalyst for our community to find a new space," Lewy said.

Lewy said ERV has collaborated with other local spaces such as Xcape Dance Academy, The Spot and Rival Skate Shop. Throughout the summer, ERV can be found at the Farmer's Market Pavilion, where Lewy said he's looking forward to building new relationships.

He said the biggest challenge is trying to find an indoor space, especially during the rainy season. For the new community aspect, Lewy said he would like to see some sort of covering, especially if it were retractable.

"Clean water builds community," Lewy said. "That's really taken the priority over skating, but we certainly enjoyed up here."

All about the reservoir's transformation

A decade ago, the Oregon Health Authority told EWEB that it needed to rehabilitate or decommission the College Hill Reservoir because of leaking roof joints, which creates the potential to degrade the water quality, by the end of 2023.

However, EWEB determined that the reservoir, which was originally built in the 1930s, would not sustain a high-magnitude earthquake. Instead of just modifying the top to meet OHA's mandate, Farthing said EWEB decided to create the two 7.5 million-gallon tanks to ensure seismic stability. The tanks are each 212 ft. in diameter and 35 ft. tall, but most of the tanks will be buried underground, according to Farthing.

The entire project, including the tanks, some piping, landscaping and historic mitigation, will cost about $34 million.

The new tanks include wire wrapping that puts the tank into compression, making them stronger. There will also be an extra five feet of space between the surface of the water and the top of the tank. The original reservoir only had about one foot of space between the roof and the water. Farthing also said these tanks have valves connected to ShakeAlert, which monitors early signs of an earthquake and allows EWEB to close the tanks remotely to preserve the water inside.

"These are a proven construction type that is known to last and survive earthquakes of the magnitude we're expected to have in this region," Farthing said. "Having the two tanks allows us to be very flexible with our water system. It also allows us to be able to do maintenance and upgrade projects, because you can take one tank offline, but still maintain water supply.

"It really is just a way to make the water system more resilient and allows us to do good maintenance and prolong the life of the facilities."

Farthing said these modern drinking water storage tanks will provide water for the community for decades to come. In 2020, EWEB started construction on two new 7.5 million gallon drinking water storage tanks at 40th Ave. and Patterson St. These were created to act as temporary storage for the reservoir site's 15-gallons of water, but will remain as a continued storage space after the reservoir's two identical tanks are completed.

The reservoir was fully drained at the beginning of 2024 after EWEB finished the new tanks in South Hills.

By the end of the College Hill Reservoir reconstruction in 2027, EWEB will have four water storages, the others being the new South Hills tanks, as well as the Hawkins Reservoir and the Santa Clara Reservoir. Just like College Hill, Hawkins and Santa Clara are not anticipated to be operable after an earthquake, according to Farthing. In the future, EWEB will look into options to decommission and rebuild those structures.

Farthing said it's exciting to see Eugene get a full refresh on its water system.

"We're looking 200 years into the future, making sure the community still has safe and resilient water," Farthing said. "You don't get to be a part of these legacy projects every day, especially those with benefits for the health of the entire community. It's pretty amazing the investment we're making for future generations."

While the top of the new tanks will not be accessible to the public, other spaces on the site will be, once completed. EWEB is soliciting public input in planning future recreation on-site. Farthing said they have already received over 200 comments.

"We recognize how valuable this space has been to the community and we really want, (for) next generations, we want to make sure that we create something that's usable and that is valuable," Farthing said. "We really do believe in involving the community and listening to ideas, because it's the right thing to do."

For more information about the College Hill Reservoir Replacement Project or to submit a comment, visit www.eweb.org/collegehill.

Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Eugene says goodbye to 80-year-old College Hill Reservoir