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Some short-term concerns for swimmers should be added to those mentioned already.
1) E-coli from untreated sewage discharges into the river has a 48-hour life. 2) There are many major dischargers upstream from Portland. There is no public warning system except from Portland. 3) As well as "CSOs", remember there may be unpublicized equipment malfunctions from upstream cities' sewage treatment plants. Or pipe malfunctions, as from Lake Oswego's Lake. 4) Skin abrasions were briefly mentioned; there was also one serious case of flesh-eating bacteria publicized about two years ago, related to a leg wound in shallow water from sharp wood underwater. (My husband and I have kayaked, etc., on several rivers, but we would never go on the Willamette with abrasions or open wounds.) 5) No one should swim through sewage, industrial or other effluent discharges, but there are no warning signs except for some in Portland. Efforts to get warning signs upriver have failed, so far. 6) Drought was not a problem this year, but can increase the pollution loads. 7) Look at epa.gov/tri for listings of certain industrial discharges.
Longer-term concerns: (A) Are you all are aware that the Willamette's flow is not natural -- but is augmented by special discharges from the Corps of Engineers' dams, especially in July, August and September? This may not be possible in the future if Climate Change continues to deplete the snowpack over time.
(B) If we regard the unwholesome resident fish as "canaries in the mine," we really need to be concerned. (Documentation available.)
(C) Hope you all read Scott Learn's story in the Oregonian, Friday, Aug. 22, on page A-1. He describes a major new effort by DEQ to improve the river for fish -- and hopefully for all of us.

Incidentally, your website describes the Willamette as an "excellent water source." For many reasons including the fish problems and the outdated and inadequate EPA standards, this is an inappropriate description. Actually EPA recommends choosing the cleanest possible water source for drinking water ... and the cleanest possible source in our metropolitan area here is not the Willamette, but the Bull Run. Remember the PPCPs! Remember the endocrine disrupters! Remember the Maine! (Woops -- that's something else.)

Kathy Newcomb, research analyst for Citizens for Safe Water and others.

posted 4 years, 9 months ago
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