Portland votes to become “Swimmable City” Amidst Global Push For Cleaner Urban Rivers In Major Cities Like Paris
Contact:
Amy Souers Kober, American Rivers, 503-708-1145
Willie Levenson, Human Access Project, 503-936-6920
Decision highlights Willamette River’s importance to city’s health, economy, culture
On the heels of the first swim in the Seine in Paris in more than a century, the Portland City Council voted yesterday evening to join an international coalition of cities transforming their urban waterways. The Swimmable Cities alliance champions the right to swim, celebrates urban swimming culture, and honors the sacredness of water. With the mayor’s approval, the City of Portland will become the 8th city to join internationally, and the 3rd city in the U.S. The others are Annapolis and Sheboygan.
The Willamette River, which flows through downtown, has become a popular swimming and recreation treasure for residents and visitors, with multiple beaches, docks, and boat launches.
On summer mornings, the river is home to the River Hugger Swim Team, and in the afternoons and evenings people flock to these riverside places to cool off from the summer heat. A river culture is emerging with regular beach parties that feature music, food carts, and swimming and sunset viewing.
“The Willamette River is Portland’s second largest public space and natural area, owned by the citizens of Oregon. It serves as a natural cooling center during hot weather and a place for recreation, contemplation, and community year-round. Green leadership means restoring, developing, and celebrating our river on behalf of the public, supporting river culture, and growing economic opportunities around river recreation. Like Paris, we’ve invested years of hard work in this effort, including our Big Pipe project, which was completed in 2011. I’m proud of everyone who contributed to making Portland a Swimmable City,” said Keith Wilson, Mayor of Portland.
“Swimmable Cities is part of an international movement creating more liveable, inclusive and resilient urban communities. Our alliance was launched before the Paris Olympics and now unites 153 diverse organisations, across 83 cities and towns and 30 countries. We’re excited to welcome the City of Portland as the 8th Municipal Signatory to our Charter,” said Matt Sykes, Director of Swimmable Cities. “Let’s stand together for communities’ Right to Swim and Nature Rights.”
“This vote represents Portland’s commitment to protecting, preserving and improving the Willamette River’s water quality for people, fish and wildlife,” said Human Access Project Ringleader Willie Levenson. “Portland and Paris’s investment in their rivers demonstrate that when you work with a river to improve its health the river responds, and all the creatures that love to use it benefit, including humans.”
“Rivers are life, and urban rivers are the heartbeat of our cities. Every river should be clean and safe for swimming, playing, and fun, and Portland is at the forefront,” said Sarah Dyrdahl, Northwest regional director for American Rivers. “This success is thanks to strong federal clean water protections, as well as forward-thinking action at the local level. We need to keep this positive momentum going in Portland and nationwide, because our rivers are our greatest natural assets. The more people out enjoying our rivers, the bigger boosts we have for our health, local economies, and quality of life.”
The Willamette wasn’t always so welcoming. For decades, it was choked with pollution, and making contact with the water was dangerous. Infrastructure investments, including a “big pipe” to prevent sewage overflows, and green infrastructure such as trees and rain gardens throughout the city to manage polluted runoff, has made the river cleaner and safer.
More than 80 percent of people in our country live in cities, and most live within a mile of a river. Yet many urban rivers and streams are unhealthy and polluted, have been paved over, and used as dumping grounds. Portland was one of the first cities internationally to successfully manage removing sewage overflows into the river.
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American Rivers is a national conservation organization working to make every river clean and healthy for people and wildlife. We combine evidence-based solutions with enduring partnerships to safeguard the 3.5 million miles of rivers and streams that are essential to our nation’s clean drinking water, extraordinary wildlife, and strength of our communities. For more than 50 years, our staff, supporters, and partners have been driven by a common belief: Life Depends on Rivers. AmericanRivers.org