Chemawa Station Water Tower
Posted by: 
Bandmaster
N 45° 00.091 W 123° 00.071
10T E 499906 N 4983118
The Chemawa Station Water Tower is unique, both in the circumstances that it was built and in its modern design. The water tower's purpose is to hold 500,00 gallons of water for the city of Keizer, Oregon residents during peak demand times.
Waymark Code: WM222G
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 08/22/2007
Views: 114
At the time of this posting, the newly constructed Chemawa Station Water Tower was not yet completly painted, only on the inside. But, as my latest photo shows as of 9/14/07, the tower now has some outside paint and appears like an alien spacecraft that has just landed. I will update the painting progress periodically.
To illustrate the uniqueness and intrigue connected to the water tower, I render here portions of an article published by the Statesman Journal newspaper located in Salem, Oregon, issue dated August 21, 2007, local section C.
"...The outside of the tower is expected to be paintd gray-blue by the end of August 2007, but it is not expected to get a much-talked about design laid over that color any time during the next few weeks.
The Confederated Indian Tribes of the Siletz and Grand Ronde and the city of Keizer are working together to find a design that's agreeable and represents each group.
The tribes want their logo on the tower.
""The water tower is on land that belongs to the tribes, and we granted the city an easement for it, so I'm sure the city of Keizer will be very gracious and supportive of what the tribes will come forward with,"" said Siobhan Taylor,Grand Ronde director of public affairs.
The city, which owns the tower, wants its logo on the 100-foot structure said Keizer City Manager Chris Eppley.
So, they're doing it together: The goal is to incorporate the tribes' intertwined logos and the city's logo and include something that represents Keizer such as an iris.
Graphic designers at the Siletz' Chinook Winds and Grand Ronde's Spirit Mountain casinos are putting together a few options for what the tower's design could be, Taylor said.
They could present the designs at the tribes' next board meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for the end of September 2007. The city must approve the final design.
The tribes pitched putting their logo on the tower when the city asked to lease the land, Taylor said. The city turned them down, saying the addition of the corporate logo broke Keizer's sign ordinance.
It did not meet standards, and the city still may need a variance to allow the logo on the tower, said Rob Kissler, Keizer director of public works. He said the Keizer City Council will need to take action before anything is painted besides the blue-gray color being rolled on this month.
The solid color originally was chosen to avoid breaking city code by making a sign out of the tower that is meant to hold water for Keizer residents for use during peak demand times.
Crew foreman Pryor is making sure laborers, such as Randy Bradley, apply a solid coat of paint inside the tower to keep the water clean." (End of Statesman Journal article)
The photos were taken August 22, 2007 and illustrate what the tower looks like prior to being painted on the outside, (as stated in the article) the solid coat of blue-gray paint. There is no water inside the tower yet as the inside paint job drys.
I ask those who visit this water tower to join me in updating this waymark with this ever developing saga, both in your logs and photos. Together, we will show the progress as this water tower is painted on the outside, a graphic design is selected that is agreeable to both the Indian tribes and approved by the City of Keizer, the completion of the application of the design, and finally the tower is filled with water and is functional.
The completion of the "Chemawa Station Water Tower" will depend on the cooperation of the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz and Grand Ronde and the City of Keizer. Will this cooperative local community effort be successful or will it get bogged down in politics? Together, we will see if this tower will ever hold water.
Visit Instructions:
To post a log for your visit to a "Water Tower" waymark you must post "two" (2) photos of the "Water Tower". Include any information you wish to share about your visit. Any log deemed not authentic will be dissapproved and/or deleted.