Historic Hood River
City Waterline
Notes
Since the very early days, the city of Hood River has struggled with questions of how to provide water to a growing population. Early settlers used springs such as Coe Spring, but as population grew the need for greater volume and high quality has led to sources in more remote areas. In 1929 the city constructed this pipeline from a collection of springs near Lost Lake to a reservoir on the city’s outskirts. That pipeline continued to serve city residents until last year, when a 5 year project to build a replacement was finally completed.
This image shows a section of the original pipeline where it crossed the Hood River near Riverside Drive. This section has been replaced with a seismically reinforced bridge and steel pipe which should serve city residents for at least another 75 years.
charlott
I don’t recall exactly what winter it was, but things were really iced up. My Dad donned his mountain equipment and hiked down to the old wooden pipeline where the plugs had blown out and water had sprayed out way up into the trees. The photos he took were just an abolute winter wonderland.
JP
No more "angel’s share" with the new pipe in place 😉
Buzz
What is the diameter of the pipe that serves the city now?
spinsur
Most of the 1929 line was 16" diameter, I believe the new one is 24". Arthur, isn’t this the crossing way up the Hood, past the last homes, up near white bridge? My understanding is that the Riverside crossing bridge dates to 1929, and was upgraded with this go-round.
Arthur
My recollection is the pipeline was upgraded from 18" to 24", but mostly I was focused on all the zeroes on the checks to the contractor.
I may be wrong about which river crossing this is. I don’t recall cable stays at Riverside. All three crossings are now leak free and seismically reinforced.
Bill Pattison
In the winter of 1946 – 1947 a large section of the pipe was torn out by a land slide on the hillside south of the present 5 mill. gallon reservoir and the thrust block at the Hood River crossing. In order to repair and replace the pipe the City asked the High School if they could use some of the students to be suspended on ropes over the hillside to assist in the work. I volunteered {without my parents permission} to take on the task, because of my early mountain climbing experience. I recall it was a blast and good pay. No OSHA in those days.
Bill P.
judy
Yep, no OSHA….. Government……Ask our Scout Leader Jeff McCaw about government. After he and his scouts removed all the old tires that were thrown our by someone (picture in HR News) A letter came that he had not filled out the right paperwork to do so……..in fact I think he received two letters. I think sometimes our government workers have way too much time on their hands.
l.e.
This doesn’t look like a Fun Friday.
Looks more like a lot of cold, wet work.
Shelly
This looks like the river crossing just off of Lost Lake Road after crossing the bridge. There was an old campground in there until recently when they started logging the area.
Jeffrey Bryant
Hood River Glacier, 1928-03-08, page 1 and 10 – City Accepts Water Report.
https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071110/1928-03-08/ed-1/seq-10/