The four acre Reed Lake, which takes up a good portion of the canyon, is purportedly "the oldest naturally occurring lake in Portland", though whether or not it's actually natural has been debated over the years. It's all part of a land donation from the erstwhile William Ladd, and there are traces of the former agricultural purposes of the land strewn throughout the Reed campus.
The canyon has at various times held the aquifier for Ladd's cattle, a wildlife refuge, a fish hatchery, two bath houses, and an outdoor swimming pool.
Today, it's an urban oasis, as well as a valuable site for Reedies interested in some hands-on natural resources studies.
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