@thatferalfairy: Okay Portland, I was supposed to be fact-checking a fake post about Lake Oswego getting renamed “Lake Portland” and somehow ended up 13 years deep in a fight over who gets to use the actual lake. 😂 And the more I read, the more I kept thinking: Wait… what? Because for years, you could live in Lake Oswego, drive past the water every day, watch people boating all summer, and still not really have a way in unless your property came with lake rights or a deeded easement. So this was never just “Lake Oswego vs. Portland.” Some people who lived there were locked out too. Then in 2012, the city blocked people from entering the lake through three public waterfront parks. Two guys sued. One of them lived in Lake Oswego. And that fight dragged on for 13 years. Here’s where you lose me. I totally understand: your dock is private. Your backyard is private. Your house is private. But the water? Come on. If the water is public, telling people they can stand there and look at it but not get in is just… weird. And apparently a lot of Oregonians felt the same way, because once public access finally opened at Lower Millennium Plaza in 2025, people showed up with kayaks, paddleboards, fishing poles and floaties. After all those years of fighting about what would happen if “everyone” got in? Mostly… people paddled around. The city counted thousands of entries that first summer and reported zero injuries or accidents involving people using the new public access point. Thirteen years in court. Then a bunch of people showed up with SUPs. That part made me laugh. But this part got me: Imagine growing up ten minutes from a lake, loving the water, seeing it all the time, and knowing the answer was basically: not for you. Nope. If you had lake rights growing up, didn’t have them, got kicked out, fought for access, or still think opening it was a terrible idea, I want your story. Because I have a feeling this one is going to split the comments straight down the middle. And yes, I already know which side I’m on. 😂 ❤️ — Larie Use: #PNWPassport #LakeOswego #OswegoLake #PortlandOregon #PortlandMetro

thatferalfairy

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Monday 14 September 2026 22:40:25 GMT