Willamette River most Polluted River - PDX

I see people boarding, posts on Wet Wednesday or PDX River.
you guys are at the Willamette River, who in there right mind would get in that water

Read this and I doubt you would get you big toe wet ever again….

http://www.americanrivers.org/site/DocServer/Willamette_Press_Release.pdf?docID=3810

American Rivers Announces "America's Most Endangered Rivers of 2006"

#3
Willamette River: Home to more than 70 percent of the state’s population, the Willamette River Valley is the heart and lifeblood of Oregon, but a loophole in state regulations allows companies to dump millions of pounds of pollution into the river in “toxic mixing zones.” The governor must make good on his promise to clean up the Willamette and end the use of toxic mixing zones on the river.

Sorry guys but just makes me quiver to see pics of people in that river...........

Joe, unfortunately we all know about this. A lot of people including riders avoid the Willamette for this reason. It's been in the news and newspapers for awhile. I don't think that pic is from the Willamette, tho? The salmon are running right now and I would honestly eat one out of the river b/c they don't spend much time there. There are probably less toxins in a Willamette River salmon, than a farm raised salmon you might buy at your local grocery store. I would not eat a resident Willamette River fish, tho too many toxins.

I have been an advocate to end these "toxic mixing zones" for awhile. DEQ basically measures the pollutants downstream of the pipe a company is discharging the waste from instead of right at the discharge pipe? Yeah, WTF....It looks like we are finally getting somewhere.

To make it worse the lower industrial Willamette is basically a federal "Superfund site" and is slowly being cleaned up. Plus, the city of Portland is the biggest polluter of the Willamette b/c every time it rains hard, our sewer system gets overloaded and the city dumps raw sewage into the river. You know how much rain we get here in the PNW! The city does this 170 days a year, by 2011 that number should drop to 5 days. There is even a sewage pipe right where we ride? Yikes, make sure your mouth is closed when you fall!!!

Bryan
Yeah I know what you mean, just seems gross.
I think I will just stick to the upper Columbia,
as long as we have fun its all good.

Upper Columbia near Hanford is worse!! Radiation...You're probably above Hanford, tho?

Sorry not that far up, Reed Island area,

i know the willamette is pretty gross, but honestly i don't really care, i haven't gotten sick from it yet and it's not gonna keep me from riding and having a good time

Did you read the entire press release? The selection criteria is nominations from a bunch of activists. Conspicously absent is ANY water quality data. This is a political exercise that may or may not have any scientific backing. Impossible to tell from the press release. That to me is really telling.

I have been going in the Willamette (in Salem) since I was 8. I swallow mouth fulls of water all the time on accident and I have never once got sick. I think I am immune to it by now

One time back in high school, we filled this guys water bottle with Willamette water, just as a joke, and he got really sick for two days I guess that one wasn't all that funny now that we look back at it

Joe, the Willamette is definately not very clean. It is also famous for it's Brown Trout after it rains.

I try not to think about what is in the water. But that is hard when the water gets real warm and the pungent aroma of sewer greets your nose when you get in.

I am still riding any chance I get. I feel safer riding in the Willamette than eating out at most restaraunts as far as germs are concerned.

I don't think the toxins in the water will leach through the skin in amounts significant enough to do anything and we don't drink the water.

Plus people have been using the Willamette for decades and it was much dirtier in the seventies and eighties.

I do however run for the shower as soon as I get home from riding.

Willamette memories: use wet suit or life jacket, don't rise, throw into storage area, go home, forget about it for a few days, open up the storage area....yummmmmmm

We have to bust out the steam cleaner at least every 2 weeks during the summer, because we are always in a hurry and don't dry off fully before getting into the tahoe...the next morning it smells like rotten milk

Yeah do some research and you will find the columbia is really poluted and has been for years. We just don't have much of a choice and it has never bothered me or the crews we hang out with. Try to avoid the water with any big open cuts..... That being said it is going to be in the 80's this week. Bring on the brown trout!!!!!

wow, that's really sad. what's even more sad is that it's going to take forever to change

Bryan,
Show me some information ( facts) that show that the Columbia River above Richland is polluted or is radioactive.There are hundreds of studies done on that area of the river. The Hanford area itself has nuclear waste , but it has not leached into the waterway...yet.
We ride exclusively up there and I also hunt and fish there in season.
We just got off the river from riding up there today. Except for my third eyeball that is growing from my forehead, it was GREAT! Sun, flat water and no boats...