Isn't it bad enough for Ryan that he would have had to explain shrinkage to Ashley when PPB arrived. Seriously though, throw the book at them and please find a way to secure our vital water resource.

Gibby

if only there had been a large reservoir cap covering the water. the two lovebirds would have been forced to skinny-dip in someone's pool after hopping a fence, like normal people do.

It seems to me that the city may be laying the p.r. groundwork for capping the reservoirs. It seems awfully eager to share these security breaches with us lately.

Then again, the feds are all over them to spend a gazillion on filters, and so a fair amount of bobbing and weaving is to be expected.

I'm told that fish inhabit Bull Run Lake and you know what they do in the water.

I'm told that fish inhabit Bull Run Lake and you know what they do in the water.

Ahhhh....

Well that certainly makes this pale by comparison.

The moral parallel is irrefutable, David.

Ryan "developed a passion for exploring sustainability, the issues it compels and the people whom it touches"! He has a "passion[]...for the outdoors"!

Even with the fish, Bull Run water right out of even my old corrided tap here in PDX tastes great! It especially tastes great after a long jog on a warm day like today. Just like Jimmy Dean (sausage) or Andy Griffith (Ritz crackers): mmm, mmm that's lip smacking good!

"The MarketShift Think Tank will challenge conventional marketing with new and engaging communication strategies for a sustainable economy."

I challenge anyone to count the number of times the word "sustainable" appears in that link in Jack's update. I don't have the stomach.

You know why 25 year olds shouldn't form think tanks? Because they don't know anything practical yet.

Portland Water Bureau discovered two people skinny dipping in Mt. Tabor Reservoir 6 early Saturday morning. Water Bureau security personnel spotted the swimmers, who were skinny dipping,

Someone could use an editor.

Did it mention that they were skinny dipping?

"It seems to me that the city may be laying the p.r. groundwork for capping the reservoirs. It seems awfully eager to share these security breaches with us lately."

P.R. effort or not, it makes sense to cover the reservoirs or filter the water. I'm not worried about the threat of terrorism--which the Water Bureau origninally offered as a reason to cap the reservoirs. Potential targets are so ample and some of them so spectacular that it hardly seems worthwhile to try to safeguard a reservoir in Portland, Oregon, against an unlikely terrorist act.

But I am concerned about casual acts of vandalism and stupidity, like the one just cited. I also wonder what kinds of air pollutants settle onto and into the uncovered water. Judging by the soot that settles onto my window sills and front porch every week (just a few blocks from Mt. Tabor), I have my doubts about the purity of our local water supply. Leaving city resovoirs uncovered, and the water from them unfiltered, defies common sense.

Now the AP is reporting that the City DID dump "millions of gallons of water."

Maybe Jennie Day can set the record straight ...

My great gramma always used to say,"you eat a peck of dirt before you die".
Filters are cheap, covers are not. The city should just filter the water and be done with it. The crap in all the old pipes would probably scare most folks, but no one talks about that!

"Two people caught skinny dipping in a Portland reservoir that is a main source of water for the city nearly caused officials to dump millions of gallons of water and close the facility."
This is the quote from AP - note the word "NEARLY".

Threats to the water system is nothing new here. In the 70s after Patti Hearst was kidnapped the SLA began making threats to poision the water system. Our own Water Bureau folks partnered up with PPB Officers on OT to patrol Bull Run 24/7 for a while. Just a bit of Water Bureau trivia.

Gibby

The AP inaccurately reported that we "nearly" had to dump the drinking water.

If they had been swimming in the on-line portion of the reservoir, we would have tested it first before determining if it necessitated dumping. Fortunately for all of us, they were in the off-line portion which will never be sent to your tap.

And yes, Max, I guess I was a little overzealous overzealous in reporting that they were skinny dipping skinny dipping. I don't often times at work have the opportunity to say those words, especially not in news releases.

(Jennie Day is on vacation--and if you read the Water Bureau blog you'll find out why ;)

Seems like some people are taking the whole "hydro-park" concept a bit too far...

Was this little escapade what Ryan meant by "exploring sustainability"?

"UPDATE, 3:14 p.m.: Here's old Ryan."

Not wishing to sound sexist, but I'd rather see Ashley.

I stand by whatever my PR department writes, whether its Jennie Day or a stand-in.

David Shaft, Director

Oh, I am no mere stand in!

I'd rather see Ashley.

No photo readily available for Ashley. Just this.

Facebook reports two Ashley Moyers in Portland. While their full profiles aren't public, thumbnail photos are here and here.

I read this story a few minutes ago and just about froze in amazement. Back in 2000-01 I was a student at the University of Oregon and in the dorms just a couple rooms down from me was a guy named Ryan Langsdorf...I think it's the same person! We were actually decent friends for a little while.

I'm surprised to see him busted for something like THIS though...damn I never knew him like that.

After closing time at the Space Room, anything can happen.

That's the thing about water -- you never know where it's been.

"Facebook reports two Ashley Moyers in Portland. While their full profiles aren't public, thumbnail photos are here and here."

OK, I take it back about wanting to see Ashley.

Is it David Shaft or David Shaff?

So, when do Saltzman's buddies start dusting off their $100M quote for reservoir lids? Of course, the price of steel in Angola has bumped up the quote by now I am sure.

Ok, I'm the mother of an Ashley Moyer. I've been going through all the stuff on line about the news story, and thought I would make a comment here. Two guys from KGW showed up at our house last night asking if our daughter was the one skinny dipping. Well, guess what, it's not her, and she has a job out of state for the summer, and she doesn't even know about the whole thing yet. We have limited contact with her in the wilderness. I hope she will just think this is funny, and not be horrified!

merging established professionals with college students to cross-pollinate experience with young imagination

This is just part of the cross-pollination program, don't you see?

After closing time at the Space Room, anything can happen.

Ah, who can blame em? You gotta get that cigarette smoke off somehow.

Action photos here.

Are we sure we are on Bull Run(I hope) because I think they mix Columbia well water with it now.

We can't control the birds that may take baths in that water, so it better be filtered some.

The wells are not used except in summer, and the official word is that they have not been turned on this year, at least not yet.

so if they had swim suits on would it be such big news or just another couple trying to beat the heat?

Swimsuits would have made it worse -- detergent residue from the suits, on top of, well, you know...

"It seems to me that the city may be laying the p.r. groundwork for capping the reservoirs. It seems awfully eager to share these security breaches with us lately."

"P.R. effort or not, it makes sense to cover the reservoirs or filter the water...
I am concerned about casual acts of vandalism and stupidity, like the one just cited. I also wonder what kinds of air pollutants settle onto and into the uncovered water. Judging by the soot that settles onto my window sills and front porch every week (just a few blocks from Mt. Tabor), I have my doubts about the purity of our local water supply. Leaving city resovoirs uncovered, and the water from them unfiltered, defies common sense."

Yeah, let's (us rate payers) spend half a billion on burial of the 5 reservoirs at Tabor and Wash. Pk AND building unneeded treatment plants so we can reduce (all those) "casual acts of vandalism and stupidiy" and to reduce what we are breathing every day. Come on folks, THINK!

IT'S ALL HYPE. All possible issues were well vetted a few years ago, culminating in a review panel voting against burial. Fyi, the water comes to us pure and is treated with chlorine and ammonia products. Treatment and burial also introduce a whole other set of concerns for quality.

Between the treatment it already gets and the sheer volume, it's virtually impossible to "taint" the water with any negative consequence. Not to mention, it's much easier to attempt contamination via individual water hydrants or your own home plumbing system.

It's irresponsible for a Water Bureau rep or anyone else to suggest some great "threat" from a little paint or a staph infection or whatever. It's a superior system that has worked well for over 100 years. For more info and action you can take to protect the reservoirs and the Bull Run water, go to Friendsofreservoirs.org.