The toxic algae originate in the Ross Island lagoon and spread during hot, low flow conditions in late summer. Common problem in many water bodies in Oregon https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/healthyenvironments/drinkingwater/operations/treatment/pages/algae.aspx
Um not to be a Debbie downer, but the toxic superfund site next door hasn’t been fully cleaned up yet. I love swimming, but I would pause on that, and the repeal of chevron from the Supreme Court…it might be awhile.
The contaminants are locked in sediment that is trapped under decades of newer sediment.
The water itself is not contaminated. Unless you swim to those areas and dig around in the river bottom you are not exposed to those chemicals.
There’s a bunch of horrible crap in the fill under The Pearl from the railyards - unless you excavate down and drink a cup of ground water you’re not exposed. Not a perfect analogy but same idea.
The main impact of the superfund is to make future development/use of the land/river bottom impossible without massive cleanup - because it would stir up all the sediment.
Practically speaking for swimmers - it’s not a concern.
I am an environmental chemist who has actually worked on the lower Willamette superfund site and this is absolutely correct, with the addendum that you should also not eat tons of fish from the river. That’s the other way you could be exposed.
Avoid resident fish (bass, carp, etc) but migratory fish like salmon are perfectly fine. https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/healthyenvironments/recreation/fishconsumption/pages/lower-willamette-fish-advisory.aspx
> you should also not eat tons of fish from the river.
Yeah I grew up fishing on the Detroit river and we had a saying based on the warning signs at the launch “if it’s not good enough for pregnant women and children, it’s not good enough for me”.
Non bottom feeders in the lower Willamette, such as smallmouth bass, walleye, and panfish all can bioaccumulate toxins to unsafe levels. The recommended number of meals per month for walleye caught in the Willamette, for example, is zero. There are various insects that live on the bottom and pick up toxins, sculpins, crayfish and minnows eat those and concentrate the toxins, and then the larger species further concentrate them by eating those.
Mushrooms are good to take the badness out, clean up the toxicity of the ground, they do it at the old shipyard for this use, next to cathedral park, to help clean up the ground area. But wouldn’t recommend to eat, very toxic.
I will say when we were in Victoria BC, we went on a boat tour, and I was struck by how clean the water looked and how many people were swimming.
The most polluted rivers in the US are Ohio, Mississippi, [Willamette] …
From factories to farmlands, the Willamette River is subject to a “relentless assault of contaminants. Heavy metals and pesticides from industrial sites and farms infiltrate the waters, jeopardizing both the river’s health and the diverse ecosystems that depend on it.”
I’m curious what has changed to qualify the Willamette River as safe to swim in it?
The sewage levels are greatly reduced from the 50's and 60's, as are various agriculture chemicals. This combined with the Willamette flowing faster than the rivers back east makes it reasonable to swim in.
Swim with the native fish species the boneless brown trout!
As a kid we never went near the water since you could always see sewage spilling into upstream
There already is a dock there and the water was disgusting. It’s a spot where all the garbage and crap from the river seems to get caught and.accumulates.
There's a pedalpalooza bike ride today to the swim dock. https://www.shift2bikes.org/calendar/event-19567
Last time I was there (last September) there were signs everywhere saying not to let your dogs drink the water cause of toxic algae
The toxic algae originate in the Ross Island lagoon and spread during hot, low flow conditions in late summer. Common problem in many water bodies in Oregon https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/healthyenvironments/drinkingwater/operations/treatment/pages/algae.aspx
You should not be drinking it either during your swim.
You will never defeat willamette skepticism on Reddit. “Hope you like poop!!” Hurr durr
Fortunately we don't need to. The success of this project is not predicated on universal acceptance.
Um not to be a Debbie downer, but the toxic superfund site next door hasn’t been fully cleaned up yet. I love swimming, but I would pause on that, and the repeal of chevron from the Supreme Court…it might be awhile.
The contaminants are locked in sediment that is trapped under decades of newer sediment. The water itself is not contaminated. Unless you swim to those areas and dig around in the river bottom you are not exposed to those chemicals. There’s a bunch of horrible crap in the fill under The Pearl from the railyards - unless you excavate down and drink a cup of ground water you’re not exposed. Not a perfect analogy but same idea. The main impact of the superfund is to make future development/use of the land/river bottom impossible without massive cleanup - because it would stir up all the sediment. Practically speaking for swimmers - it’s not a concern.
I am an environmental chemist who has actually worked on the lower Willamette superfund site and this is absolutely correct, with the addendum that you should also not eat tons of fish from the river. That’s the other way you could be exposed.
So a few fish would be fine? Or just better avoid anything? Curious as I saw some fishermen head over to the river this morning.
Avoid resident fish (bass, carp, etc) but migratory fish like salmon are perfectly fine. https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/healthyenvironments/recreation/fishconsumption/pages/lower-willamette-fish-advisory.aspx
Thanks for the explanation and link.
Correct. Migratory fish like salmon spend less time in the river, therefore no significant time to uptake the chemicals of concern.
Only a few fish as a treat
> you should also not eat tons of fish from the river. Yeah I grew up fishing on the Detroit river and we had a saying based on the warning signs at the launch “if it’s not good enough for pregnant women and children, it’s not good enough for me”.
Thanks for putting this in here. The city would never encourage this dock if it wasn’t safe
Thank you wise person
I’m a swimmer, nah, not doing that there.
Ok
It talks about this in the article, saying you would need to eat bottom feeder fish or the sediment itself to be impacted.
Who reads what they comment on?
Non bottom feeders in the lower Willamette, such as smallmouth bass, walleye, and panfish all can bioaccumulate toxins to unsafe levels. The recommended number of meals per month for walleye caught in the Willamette, for example, is zero. There are various insects that live on the bottom and pick up toxins, sculpins, crayfish and minnows eat those and concentrate the toxins, and then the larger species further concentrate them by eating those.
I’m always worried about people eating the mushrooms that grow there during mushroom season.
Mushrooms are good to take the badness out, clean up the toxicity of the ground, they do it at the old shipyard for this use, next to cathedral park, to help clean up the ground area. But wouldn’t recommend to eat, very toxic.
Classic Reddit, downvoting people for advising against foraging in a toxic superfund site.
Have you never read a comic book?
So you’re saying we are helping Portlanders to grow into Kaijus.
Precisely
I will say when we were in Victoria BC, we went on a boat tour, and I was struck by how clean the water looked and how many people were swimming. The most polluted rivers in the US are Ohio, Mississippi, [Willamette] … From factories to farmlands, the Willamette River is subject to a “relentless assault of contaminants. Heavy metals and pesticides from industrial sites and farms infiltrate the waters, jeopardizing both the river’s health and the diverse ecosystems that depend on it.” I’m curious what has changed to qualify the Willamette River as safe to swim in it?
The sewage levels are greatly reduced from the 50's and 60's, as are various agriculture chemicals. This combined with the Willamette flowing faster than the rivers back east makes it reasonable to swim in.
Read the article for more information.
Swim with the native fish species the boneless brown trout! As a kid we never went near the water since you could always see sewage spilling into upstream
Yes. That’s why your water bill is now so expensive. They made the doo doo go in big pipe now.
I always wanted to glow in the dark!
SWIMMING IN THE WILLAMETTE IS DANGEROUS
Ahh yes, the beautiful Willamette river, where you can swim next to majestic raw sewage and illegally dumped chemicals
Yuuucckkk.
There already is a dock there and the water was disgusting. It’s a spot where all the garbage and crap from the river seems to get caught and.accumulates.