Want to learn how to talk like a pirate? Check out our PIRATE DICTIONARY!
Lookin’ to find yer sea legs? With these educational VIDEOS you’ll be old salt in no time!
Portland’s drinking water system delivers water from two excellent sources: the Bull Run Watershed and the Columbia South Shore Well Field. The Portland Water Bureau gets its drinking water from Bull Run most of the time and from groundwater only when it’s needed.
The Water Bureau pumps groundwater from aquifers 100 to 600 feet underground! Blimey, that’s about 17 to 100 fathoms deep!
During long, dry summers, the Water Bureau can blend groundwater with Bull Run water to meet the summer’s higher demand for water. We also use groundwater if an emergency like a storm, flood, fire, or other natural disaster temporarily shuts Bull Run down. Savvy?
Well buccaneers, Portland’s well field is along the south shore of the Columbia River and extends into the cities of Gresham and Fairview. The 25 groundwater wells can provide 80–95 million gallons of drinking water per day. That’s about as much water as Portland uses on an average day! Portland, Gresham, and Fairview all work together to protect the Columbia South Shore Well Field.
And yo ho, Slough pirates, you may have thought about whether the Columbia Slough is connected to Portland’s groundwater. You can rest assured that the Slough, located on the surface, is far above these deep aquifers and is not connected to Portland’s drinking water treasure.
Wells powered by large electrical motors pump groundwater from three different aquifers. But what is an aquifer, you may ask? Aquifers are rock layers that hold water deep beneath the ground. These aquifers are separated by layers of clay and silt called confining units.
Aye! The Portland area is full of water. Unlike some aquifers in drier areas of the country, Portland-area aquifers are not at risk of running dry. When the Water Bureau pumps groundwater, the water levels may drop temporarily, but when the pumping stops, those water levels rise right back up.
Did you know that 99% of all the water in the world is saltwater or ice? That means that the water that plants and animals and you and I drink is pretty rare and special. Watch this video to learn about where our drinking water comes from here in Portland!
Who knew that the space between rock particles, also known as POROSITY, could be so important to groundwater? Let’s compares the porosity of gravel, sand, and clay, and learn about geology!
Learn with the experts about how groundwater works and where our drinking water comes from. Join geologist Anna Buckley of the Portland Water Bureau to make your own groundwater system with household supplies!
Find out where our groundwater is with our 3-D aquifer model! Learn with Jennifer Starkey about how water ends up underground, where it goes, and what it would look like if we could watch it the whole way.
Continue your investigation of gravel, sand, and clay, and how water interacts with these different rock layers. This time, it’s a race to the finish! How long will it take for water to flow through the spaces between these particles?
Create your own delicious cookie-milkshake aquifer model! With a straw as a well and sweets separating groundwater and surface water, you won’t find a yummier way to learn about aquifers!
Click the images below to download fun groundwater activities you can do with household supplies. Make sweet treats and environmentally friendly cleaners while you learn!
Luckily, Portland’s groundwater is deep under thick layers of silt and clay. But it can still get polluted if we’re not careful! Businesses can help by making sure they don’t pollute or dump toxic chemicals onto the ground. Since Portland, Gresham, and Fairview all share the same groundwater, it’s important that we all work together to protect the Columbia South Shore Well Field.
Here’s how you can help your family in keeping our groundwater clean. Look around the house to find everyday chemicals and activities that could pollute the groundwater and make sure that they are being stored correctly.
Chemicals should be stored in their original containers with the lids tightly sealed to prevent spills.
Make sure containers have labels, are stored tidily, and are kept away from children in a secure location.
Check storage areas to ensure that containers are not damaged or leaking, especially if the chemicals are being stored long term.
If you see someone throwing leftover chemicals in the trash, you can tell them there’s a better way! When they are done using these chemicals, tell them to head over to an official landfill where chemicals can be safely discarded. Never pour your chemicals down a household drain or into storm drains!
There’s no need for pesticides, herbicides, or other harmful chemicals in your garden if you offer to pull weeds for your family!
Before you head out for a drive, check the ground below your car for any signs of leaks from motor oil, gasoline, or anti-freeze. These can all sink into the ground and pollute our groundwater.
Want to learn how to talk like a pirate? Here are a few terms you’ll find on the Aquifer Adventure!
* Walk the plank - a punishment, probably more myth than truth, which entails making someone walk off the side of the ship along a plank.
* Swabbing the deck - wash the floors
* Mutiny - a situation in which the crew chooses a new captain, sometimes forcibly removing the old one
* Lassies - ladies
* Lads - gentlemen
* Sea legs - when a pirate can walk comfortably on a moving ship
* Batten down the hatches - a signal to prepare the ship for an upcoming storm
* Abaft - or aft - toward the back of the boat
* Orlop - the lowest deck
* Poop Deck - deck that is the highest and farthest back
* Avast ye! - stop and pay attention!
* Landlubbers! people who are uncomfortable, or not incredibly skilled, at sea
* Briney deep - the ocean
* Hornswagglin’ - to cheat, swindle
* Clipper - fast-moving boat or ship
* Galley - flat ship propelled manually by oars
* Booty - treasure or loot
Sources: PirateVoyages.com, YourDictionary.com
