Welcome to The Water Connection, an online newsletter for the Crystal Springs Water District.

The Crystal Springs Water District is an Oregon municipal corporation operating under Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) to provide domestic water. The Crystal Springs Water District was formed in 1963 when the privately owned Crystal Springs Water Company was dissolved. The Water Company was originally formed in 1930 when each customer purchased five shares of stock at $50 par value per share. Of the initial two thousand shares issued, the first certificate was purchased by J J Annala on October 13, 1930. When reorganization took place, certificates of stock were recalled, and any outstanding certificates are considered to have no value.

The newly incorporated Crystal Springs Water District, through Hood River County, applied for financial assistance through the Federal Urban Planning grant program to develop an overall water supply plan to provide for future water needs of the District. The 1963 plan recommended several improvements, which have been completed, including a new intake at Crystal Springs, two water storage reservoirs, pressure regulating facilities, and transmission mains. However, not all the recommended transmission mains have been constructed; particularly in the northern portion of the District. During the spring of 1990, the District retained Lee Engineering Inc of Oregon City to provide engineering services in preparing a new report for future needs.

Where does Crystal Springs water come from?

The following information is found in the Water System Analysis (Feb 1992) prepared by Lee Engineering.

The recharge area* for Crystal Springs includes an area on the northern slopes of Mt Hood referred to on the USGS maps as Weygandt Canyon. The canyon extends from the East Fork of the Hood River southwest to a point approximately one mile north by northeast from Cloud Cap Inn and Cloud Cap Saddle Campground. Elevation relief through Weygandt Canyon varies from about 2,400 ft. mean sea level at the intake to 4,800 ft at the southwest extreme of the drainage basin.

*A recharge area is defined as that area through which water flows or percolates in order to replenish an aquifer. (2003 Hydrogeological Study - m yinger associates)

There is no discernible river channel within Weygandt Canyon upstream of the spring except in minor eroded areas of clear-cut operations. The organic litter throughout the canyon consists primarily of decomposing needles and twigs, varies in thickness from 4" to 12" and provides an excellent filter for surface water which drains through the canyon.

Flow at the spring varies from approximately 1500 gallons per minute (gpm) in the colder periods of the winter to approximately 2700 gallons per minute (gpm) during August, due to increased summer snow and glacial melt on Mt Hood. It is also likely that some water may filter through various subsurface basalt and andesite formations and outcrop at Crystal Springs.

In terms of recharge area control, a number of agencies and jurisdictions including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Oregon State Health Division, the US Forest Service, the State of Oregon Department of Forestry, and Hood River County, have concern about the Crystal Springs recharge area. Federal legislation has enacted the Safe Drinking Water Act which established maximum contaminant levels for public water supplies. In addition, federal legislation has set limits for insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides and other chemicals.

The Oregon Water Resource Department administers water laws to promote and secure beneficial use of waters within the state. The intent of water resource policy is to include notions that the waters in the state are public, that they achieve maximum economic development, that they provide adequate supplies for human consumption while providing for other use, and that they favor multiple use.

The Oregon Forest Practices Act, administered by the Oregon Department of Forestry, includes provisions for maintaining water quality at a treatable level, but contains no provisions to maintain water quality at existing pristine levels.

The County Comprehensive Plan shows the area in the immediate vicinity of the spring as being zoned "Natural Area". However, the majority of the area is located downstream of the diversion point at the springs and has little or no impact in protecting the recharge area per se. The area immediately upstream of the springs is zoned Primary Forest (F-2) and Forest (F-1). The County had indicated an intent to log the area immediately upstream of the spring, but deferred those logging operations in deference to the District concerns regarding the proposed logging operations.

Other properties directly upstream of the intake include private forest ownerships and ownerships by the US Forest Service. Many areas within the recharge area have been clear cut. There is little question that these clear-cut operations have an impact on the surface waters which percolate throughout the litter and upper soil mantle before entering the groundwater zone. Any activity which accelerates the rate of runoff and encourages erosion of the surface soils is bound to have an impact on the spring source. (Lee Engineering Inc)

In November, 1995, the District completed negotiations and purchase of the land which surrounds the spring water source. The District had a long-term lease on the parcel which was owned by Hood River County. The point of contention was whether the lease allowed the District to restrict County logging activity on the property. The District maintained that any disturbance in the spring area would most likely cause an adverse effect on the quality or quantity of water available and had sought court interpretation of the terms of the lease. In order to preclude a court hearing and related costs, the District agreed to purchase an 80 acre parcel of property off Fir Mountain Road for $471,233 for subsequent trade for the 80 acre County-owned parcel of property around the spring collection area.

The District postponed a major capital expenditure to install electronic monitoring at the spring in order to fund a $100,000 down payment to reduce the loan to $371,233 plus closing costs. The 15 year financing agreement, arranged through Strand, Atkinson, Williams and York and the Special Districts Association, closed on November 7, 1995 and will cost the District approximately $41,000 annually at a rate ranging from 4.3% to 6.05%.

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The Water Connection An online newsletter for the Crystal Springs Water District
PO Box 186 Odell OR 97044
ph: 541.354.1818 fax: 541.354.1821
Updated 3/06  
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