In 1894, the City of Portland built two open-air reservoirs at Mount Tabor Park. By 1911, two more open-air reservoirs were constructed due to Portland’s rapidly growing eastside population. Reservoirs on the slopes of Mount Tabor formed a major part of Portland’s water system for more than a hundred years, storing much of the city’s drinking water.
In 2015, Mount Tabor’s original uncovered reservoirs were disconnected from the drinking water system to comply with state and federal drinking water regulations. Since the Mount Tabor reservoirs are no longer connected to the water system, the cost for maintenance and repairs must come out of the City’s general fund rather than the funds the Water Bureau collects from ratepayers. In response to the disconnection, City Council passed Resolution 37146, dedicating $4 million to preservation and calling on the Water Bureau and the Mount Tabor Neighborhood Association to work together on priorities.
View completed Mount Tabor reservoirs projects
Upcoming projects
Projects to repair historic reservoir features started in 2017 and are ongoing today. See below for details about projects up next.
Interpretive sign program
When the reservoirs were disconnected from Portland’s drinking water supply, the Water Bureau agreed to create interpretive displays honoring Mount Tabor’s important role in the city’s water system. Signs will highlight Indigenous history, as well as tell the story of the historic reservoirs. The design phase is nearly complete.
Learn more about the interpretive sign program
Light fixture restoration on Reservoir 6
The 100-year-old light fixtures that were once part of the fences around the reservoirs are being restored. In October 2024, the eleven existing light fixtures were removed from Reservoir 6 and shipped to Spring City Electrical in Pennsylvania where they’ll be restored and made operational. The five missing lights will be replaced with new fixtures cast from a mold of an original fixture.
