By Alex Paul
For the Gazette-Times | Posted: Thursday, July 26, 2007 12:00 am
Unexplained gurglings at Green Peter Reservoir were seen a year ago too, witnesses say.
Steve Cardwell of Albany said recent news stories on the unusual sightings at Green Peter spurred his memory. Jennifer Hassler of Salem says she also saw the gurgling for the first time last August.
"I was skiing with friends in the same area in the upper arm of Green Peter almost the same time one year ago when we saw something just like this," Cardwell said. The water bubbled for two or three minutes and then debris began floating to the surface.
"It was like burned ash," he said. "Most of it was about 1½ inches long and it was black. It made a perfect oval about 75 to 100 feet wide and then it disappeared. I had been skiing and I got back into the boat. It was the craziest thing I have ever seen in my life. At first, I thought we needed to get away in case something erupted."
Cardwell thought the eruption seemed more like a burst of water than of air. His group thought about telling officials what they saw, but by the time they removed their gear, it had disappeared.
Hassler was with a group of about 10 people when they first spotted the bubbling.
In an e-mail to the Democrat-Herald, Hassler reported: "The first time I saw a purple circle out on the lake was last summer, in August, I think. I just wanted you to know that your data is incorrect and there are numerous 'eruptions' every day. I was out there camping the last couple days and saw at least four of them. We drove through one with the boat and I stuck my hand in, there was a ton of debris and the water was noticeably warmer than that of the rest of the lake."
Hassler said the eruptions seem to last about "a minute, sometimes a little longer if they are bigger. I have seen them in three different spots so far in the back arm closest to the bridge."
Corps of Engineers officials say they are awaiting further sightings to attempt to gather gas and temperature readings.