Good - Always happy to see public employees have time for their hobbies and writing prose.

We tried to train the bears and the deer up there to take photos and let us know what is going on, but they aren't very cooperative.

isn't the Bull Run closed to the general public? if those city employees didn't take pictures and tell us about it, how would we be aware of those facts and the beauty of the area? we wouldn't. i say well done.

"Isn't the Bull Run closed to the general public?"

The Portland Water Bureau, in cooperation with the U. S. Forest Service, offers a limited number of tours annually in the Bull Run Watershed. All tours are planned and guided by a professional Water Resources Educator. During the tour participants learn about Portland's primary drinking water supply.

Scheduled Bull Run Watershed Tours For 2008: Saturday, July 12, Friday, August 8 and Saturday, August 23. Additional dates will be scheduled in September and October. The tours last 8 hours and cost $10 per person.*1

Greg C

*1 From the Water Bureau website.

Since EPA will now require us to filter our drinking water from the Bull Run, there is no further need to restrict human access to that wilderness area. No need to sign up for a Water Dept tour - just tow your ski boat up & take it for a spin!

Although the new LT2 EPA rule will require us to do additional treatment to our Bull Run source if we are not successful in obtaining a variance or legislative relief, filtration is not required. If we don’t get releif from the new regulations, our plan is to use U.V. (high intensity ultraviolet light), a much cheaper alternative.

David Shaff, Director
Portland Water Bureau

p.s. No matter what we do, the Bull Run watershed will continue to be closed to recreation and public access. Although you still can't go water skiing, you can sign up for a guided tour. It's your drinking water - come see what it looks like in the raw.

David - Thanks for that commercial message, but you forgot to inform the audience at home about the potential mercury contamination that comes with the UV radiation technology.

The silence from Mr. Shaff, who obviously lurks on this blog, is telling. Read between the lines - of silence . . .