Remembering the historic College Hill Reservoir 607
The historic, lichen-covered wall of College Hill Reservoir 607 stretches for an entire block on Lincoln Street. Built by FDR's Works Progress Administration in the 1930s, and opened in 1940, its stately 80-year run is about to end.
Water quality and earthquake concerns caused the Oregon Health Authority to order daily water quality checks, and ordered the reservoir to be drained by the end of 2023.
College Hill 607 gets its name from an important number. The entire EWEB water distribution system is gravity-fed. In order for that to work, the surface of the water storage reservoir needs to be at 607 feet above sea level. Below that, there is insufficient water pressure to run the system. Above that, the pressure is too high.
College Hill 607 has always been more than a water tank. The 2½-acre paved top of 607 has served as a unique public space for the residents of Eugene for four generations. It is open to the sky with no trees or buildings to obscure the 360-degree views over the surrounding community, the coast range, the South Hills and, more uniquely, the sky.
On clear, starry nights, stargazers from the Eugene Astronomical Society, and their guests, crowd around telescopes and peer up at the sky.
The public's recreational use of 607 has been promoted and encouraged by the city and EWEB. Before it was in service, the Eugene Playground Commission proposed tennis and basketball courts and playground equipment. As soon as it opened in 1940, 607 immediately became a popular place for kids on bikes.
In the 1950s, city officials again favored developing the site as a playground, proposing $25,000 for playground equipment. In a bizarre twist, in 1962, the U.S. Office of Civil Defense, with Eugene Water Board approval, classified 607 as a fallout shelter.
Rollerblading is a popular activity on 607. One night there is a women's roller blade team practicing roller hockey. Where else in Eugene is there 2½ acres of smooth outdoor pavement open to the public with a view?
Today, there is a boy riding his bike in the exact spot where a boy once rode his in a 1940 black-and-white photo from the EWEB archives. There is a group of people doing Sword Tai Chi, while moms and dads with children on bikes with training wheels stroll the perimeter.
On Lincoln Street, we admire the historic reservoir structure itself, built in the classic style of the 1930s WPA. In front of that iconic wall, we saw a girls soccer team practicing ball handling. A neighbor, a former soccer coach, recalls using the same space for countless practices.
The 80-year history of the popular public use of the top of College Hill 607 could end sometime in 2023. If so, it will be mourned by many. The new tank, or tanks, will be concrete and round. There will be no open-sky place to rollerblade or gaze at the stars. However, EWEB is not the bad guy.
EWEB's first responsibility is not to provide public recreation; it is to continue to provide all Eugene residents with a reliable supply of clean drinking water. The EWEB planning team recognizes and acknowledges the huge public loss when 607 goes away. They are honestly trying to take into account the historical and current uses of the site as they plan the new facility. And EWEB appears committed to continue public use on the site.
Yes, this will be a huge loss. Eighty years is a long time to use a unique public park, and then have it go away. But nothing lasts forever. As long as concerned citizens stay actively involved with the planning team, I have every reason to believe the site will continue as a Eugene public park for another 80 years.
For now, this spectacular open space is still here. Honor it and experience it while you can. Participate with EWEB in the planning process for the future of the site.
Experience it while you can.
Bob Warren, a local writer, retired Regional Business Development Manager for Business Oregon in 2012. Prior to that, he was a senior advisor in forest policy for Gov. Barbara Roberts and the natural resources advisor to Rep. Peter DeFazio.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon's College Hill Reservoir 607 to be drained in 2023
