| The College of Perpendicular Logic R E F L E C T I N G P O O L And Underground Facilities This view is looking east towards the Science Building |  |
Introduction Funding for the Reflecting Pool was lovingly provided by the US Navy Corps of Engineers. The excavation for the reflecting pool was originally intended as a radioactive waste disposal test bed. The plan called for a pit fifty feet wide by one thousand feet long and four hundred feet deep to be dug on the spot. This was to be prototype for the actual waste disposal hole and as such was only 1/10th scale. Funding for the project dried up only after one foot of depth had been reached. Now we can all enjoy the lovely water and the peace of mind we get from knowing that the radioactive waste is still safely contained back in the city. Interesting Facts In order to keep the reflecting pool fresh and at a constant volume, campus engineers utilize water from a natural underground stream which flows directlybeneath the pool. They accomplished this feat by connecting a 180 degree segmented stainless steel tube to the original 8 inch terra cotta pipe from the earlier Navy Corp project. A turbine pump retired from Hoover Dam keeps the flow nice and steady. Students working on their Indoor SCUBA certification may access the underground stream through the basement of the Liberal Arts Arena. A cross section of the access tunnel and stairway system is shown below.  | And Stairwell The flowing stream creates a negative pressure gradient that would collapse an ordinary access tunnel. In order to insure student safety and the continued existence of the underground area campus engineers constructed this elaborate stairway system and support dome. A recent art major was commissioned to paint the mural at the top of the stairwell. |