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4
Apr

Wilsonville Community Spring, Wilsonville, OR

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Description

The street address will leave you at dead end road with no parking signs. If you have driven, it’s ok to park for a short time and get water. GIS maps are confusing, the road ends a pedestrain bridge, but don’t fret, you are close. Cross the bridge over Boeckeman Creek into a gravel parking lot. Wilsonville Community Garden will be on your right. A gated road bisects the garden, heading towards a brick building which is itself a pump house for a well. Walk down the gravel road toward the building, nearing another fenced garden plot on the left. Continue toward the building, passing it on the left side with the garden on your right, following the footpath towards the forest. You’ll notice a sunken area with cattails about 50 yards past the garden heading towards the forest. This is where the spring is located, just to the right of the trail. There is 6 inch pipe where the water flows out. Look close it acn difficult to find is overgrown The area near the spring was mowed in June 2009, bring a machete or at least shirt with sleeves and pants as the blackberry brambles can overgrow the outlet quickly.

“Interesting note: This area was once the site for Nike’s Corporate Headquarters, but never materialized and is now home to 3/4 acre of community gardening space. Another interesting note: I talked with a hydrologist who was gathering data on the wells for the city, it’s their backup water supply, though rarely used. He said the water should be of the highest quality as the aquifer orginiates from the Southwest side of Mt Hood, traveling 400′ underground before coming above in Wilsonville. He also stated that the water is melt water from snowpack as the temperatures are colder in the summer and warmer in the winter months. I drank from it daily for 6 months and my health improved daily.” – Alec

Nearest Address

7524 SW Kolbe Lane Wilsonville, OR 97070

Directions from Nearest Address

N/A

Vital Information

  • Fee: Free, on publically owned land
  • Access: Public
  • Flow: Continuous
  • TDS: N/A
  • Temp: N/A
  • pH: N/A

Hours Spring is Open:

Park hours change seasonally

GPS: N/A

Map Link: Wilsonville Community Spring Map

Submitted by: Alec

Category : Oregon / USA
  • ToddRyan

    I visited this site today and was a little confused. I parked right by the pump house for the well and walked about a hundred yards or less to the first set of cat tails on the right just before entering the woods. The only water supply I saw was coming from a black pipe about six to eight inches long and twelve inches in diameter. It ran directly away from the pump house which makes me think it was an over flow or something from the building. Also, inside the pipe was a spongy substance only under the water line that was yellowish on top and then turned to light and eventually dark green closest to the pipe. I don't know if all this is natural or what, but if anybody has any insight i would love to hear it. Maybe I just found the wrong source or something… Also got some pictures but don't know how to share them here…

  • ToddRyan

    So there's good news and bad news. The good news is that I found an email address for the Environmental Education Specialist at Wilsonville City Council. I wrote her the email below and got a prompt response. They are below…

    Hi Lisa,
    Thanks for taking a moment to read and answer my question. I was
    under the impression that just south of Wilsonville Road in Memorial
    city park there is a cold water spring. From what I know, it is
    supposed to be south of Kolbe Lane in Memorial City park just past the
    community gardens and the water pump house. Can you give me any
    insight into the existance of this cold water spring as I have not had
    a chance to check for it myself. I appreciate your time and
    attention to my question.

    Response: Thank you for the inquiry. The area you are referring to is tied into the well. It has been fed from the well for a long enough time that it has become permanently filled with water. Where you could find a cold spring is in Canyon Creek Park on the trail that goes into the wooded area. It is one of the springs that feed Boeckman Creek.

    So there it is. Apparently the “spring” in Wilsonville is really just run-off from the well that is located fifty yards north. That's not to say that the water is bad, by any means, just that it's not a natural spring.

  • Dominik

    Hey Todd,

    Just wondering, did you ever get a chance to confirm the well location in “Canyon Creek Park”?

    Thanks!

    Dominik

  • ToddRyan

    Dominik,
    I did not pursue that spring based on the response I got below when I further asked about it.

    Todd,

    I apologize for not getting back to you earlier. I talked with the Natural Resources Manager and he said that the water from the spring at Canyon Creek Park will be difficult to identify because it is slowly seeping from the ground below. The area does have farm land that surrounds it and may not be safe to drink.

    Because of that response, I chose not to pursue that spring any further.

  • Dominik

    Thanks for getting back to me Todd! That's too bad, I was hoping this would be the spring I get my water from. Do you know if there are any other springs within the Portland, OR area, or within a 30 – 50 mile or so radius of Portland?

    I just moved here from Illinois (on July 14, 2010) and it would be cool to find a clean, local spring to get drinking water from.

    Are there any other springs in the area that you know of?

    Anyone have any personal experience with the spring at “Canyon Creek Park”?

    Appreciate any feedback that anyone might have!

    Thanks!

    Dominik

  • ToddRyan

    We get our water every week from the Spring that is on Highway 26 just 40 minutes west of Portland. 14 wine bottles and 2 carboys full each time. Great water. Closest one to where I am in Beaverton. Haven't hit any of the other ones around here yet.

  • Mrloitz

    I know a spring in Wilsonville. If you would like to find out more contact me erloitz@aol.com

  • ToddRyan

    How about just posting it up here so everyone can benefit instead…?

  • Anonymous

    So I guess this could be considered an artesian well? I was under the impression that spring was the reason the well existed there. The source you are describing sounds like the right one. The aquifer comes off Mt. Hood as a geologist told me. Use vessels to fill larger container to avoid the mossy/algae substance on the rocks.

  • Bck2thebch

    Hi Todd,
    In your response from Lisa she says :Where you could find a cold spring is in Canyon Creek Park on the trail that goes into the wooded area. It is one of the springs that feed Boeckman Creek. Do you know anything about this one?

    I have been filling bottles from the pipe past the pump house for the last 3 months — no problems. And do occasionally go to the one off hwy 26.

  • Anonymous

    I asked about that one and the response is below…

  • Candy

    Could someone be more specific about the location on Hwy 26?

  • Anonymous

    Candy, I think you’re posting in the wrong thread. If you look at the Mile Marker 28 Spring, you’ll find not only the coordinates for it, but also directions.

  • Joe

    Went to the “spring” today and it definitely wasn’t anything I’d feel comfortable drinking out of. It looked like a sewage run off and the water flow was so low that it ran right threw the algae and moss.