Friends of Stratton Open Space

March 7, 2026

2026 Volunteer Project Schedule

The schedule for this summer's volunteer projects is up!  You can view it on our Calendar page.

October 23, 2025

South Suburban Reservoir to Remain Closed

South Suburban Reservoir in Stratton Open Space has been closed for repairs and will not reopen to the public (and dogs) when repairs finish and the reservoir refills.  CS Utilities looked at water contaminant data over the years with dogs allowed at the reservoir, is concerned about water quality issues from dogs in the water, and decided not to continue to allow recreational access..  Dogs introduce E.coli into the water.  Swimming and splashing stir up sediments which adds nutrients to the water and contributes to the growth of blue-green algae, which put toxins in the water.  Because South Suburban is a small reservoir, the concentrations of contaminants becomes high, not good for dogs or their humans, and harder and more expensive to treat for safe drinking water.  CS Utilities has tried mixing water from Gold Camp Reservoir, the other reservoir in Stratton, into South Suburban to lower contaminant concentrations, but at times has had to simply stop using South Suburban as a water source because of the high concentrations.  Another concern is dog toys in the water.  CS Utilities cleaned out dog toys in 2020 and again in 2024, about 1000 total, about 500 in 2024, just a few years after cleaning them out before.  Plastic in the dog toys can put PFAs and micro-plastics into the water supply, an added health concern.  CS Utilities understands that dogs and their humans have enjoyed the recreational access, but wants to protect the city's drinking water.

More information is on CS Utilities web site.