I was really optimistic about the cleanliness of the Hudson until I read this charming little tidbit my cousin sent me.
gothamist.com/.../westchester_dumps_44_million_gallon.php
This happened only a short time after the Little Red Lighthouse swim. Also, at the Chesapeake Bay swim last year, I was told that the race is almost entirely swum over a dead zone. Am I the only one getting really discouraged about the cleanliness of our open water? And here I thought we were making progress...