I live on the Columbia River. i want to do some long distance swimming in it but I worry about pollution. I'm wondering if anyone has some guidelines about choosing safe bodies of water?
Former Member
there are numerous state, federal and NGOs monitoring water quality... in addition, make inquiries related to fishing warnings
the resources related to water quality and monitoring are plentiful - check out http://www.americanrivers.org/
fecal coliforms increase with rain events - as a rule of thunb you might like to avoid the river after a hard rain
I live on the Columbia River. i want to do some long distance swimming in it but I worry about pollution. I'm wondering if anyone has some guidelines about choosing safe bodies of water?
You might want to try the website of your local health department and environmental conservation. I worry about this too, especially swimming in New York City. The New York City Department of Health monitors the bacteria count for the City's beaches. Also, you might want to ask your Primary Care Physician about getting a Hepatitis A vaccine, in fact make sure all your vaccines are up-to-date (better to be on the safe/healthy side!). :angel:
