http://www.wbur.org/2010/07/15/swimming-in-the-charles WBUR is Boston's NPR News Station, featuring NPR news and programs such as Car Talk, On Point, Here & Now, Only A Game and Radio Boston. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:31:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://www.wbur.org/2010/07/15/swimming-in-the-charles/comment-page-1#comment-24898 Lili Furst Sun, 08 Aug 2010 16:06:34 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=20063#comment-24898 Are there organizations to volunteer for to help this cause? I'd love to help. It is one of my favorite areas in Boston along with the water/harbor front. Having nature run right through a concrete jungle is a treasure :) Are there organizations to volunteer for to help this cause? I’d love to help. It is one of my favorite areas in Boston along with the water/harbor front. Having nature run right through a concrete jungle is a treasure :)

]]> http://www.wbur.org/2010/07/15/swimming-in-the-charles/comment-page-1#comment-21365 Peter Thu, 15 Jul 2010 18:33:46 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=20063#comment-21365 Kate Hepburn fell into the Venice lagoon and had a chronic eye infection that never disappeared. Granted, the Venice lagoons are filled with sewage, but 'hello' with centuries of industries using it, who knows what lurks down there???? Kate Hepburn fell into the Venice lagoon and had a chronic eye infection that never disappeared. Granted, the Venice lagoons are filled with sewage, but ‘hello’ with centuries of industries using it, who knows what lurks down there????

]]> http://www.wbur.org/2010/07/15/swimming-in-the-charles/comment-page-1#comment-21359 Luke Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:04:08 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=20063#comment-21359 A few years ago MIT had a competition for floating concrete structures in the river.... We proposed a swim testing device that would let people know when the water was safe for a swim! http://www.lukevoiland.com/diptest.jpg A few years ago MIT had a competition for floating concrete structures in the river…. We proposed a swim testing device that would let people know when the water was safe for a swim!
http://www.lukevoiland.com/diptest.jpg

]]> http://www.wbur.org/2010/07/15/swimming-in-the-charles/comment-page-1#comment-21357 ms Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:43:38 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=20063#comment-21357 As a regular boater that uses the charles all season long for the past 15 years- let me say... the charles will not be swimmable in our generation (or even the next!) Aside from all the unregulated dumping that I have seen personally, the bottom is just plain disgusting! I once jumped in to untangle my dock line from a floating branch- I thought I was maybe 10+ feet deep since I could not see the bottom, well, when I jumped in I hit bottom not 5 feet deep! I sank up to my knees in mud & muck! It was disgusting. The river's bottom is litterd with trash. As a regular boater that uses the charles all season long for the past 15 years- let me say… the charles will not be swimmable in our generation (or even the next!) Aside from all the unregulated dumping that I have seen personally, the bottom is just plain disgusting! I once jumped in to untangle my dock line from a floating branch- I thought I was maybe 10+ feet deep since I could not see the bottom, well, when I jumped in I hit bottom not 5 feet deep! I sank up to my knees in mud & muck! It was disgusting. The river’s bottom is litterd with trash.

]]> http://www.wbur.org/2010/07/15/swimming-in-the-charles/comment-page-1#comment-21347 jemimah Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:57:54 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=20063#comment-21347 There's another problem which no one mentions here, but if you have a dog who swims in the river, you're probably aware of it: glass and metal. It's a real shame that while the water's gotten cleaner, this beautiful body of water still seems to be a great place for some to throw bottles and cans! When my dog is swimming off Magazine Beach, I'm constantly picking scary, sharp objects out of the sand/dirt along the banks. So that, more than goose or dog waste, is the biggest issue. Birds, fish, all wild animals excrement is always in lakes, ponds, rivers, the ocean. There’s another problem which no one mentions here, but if you have a dog who swims in the river, you’re probably aware of it: glass and metal. It’s a real shame that while the water’s gotten cleaner, this beautiful body of water still seems to be a great place for some to throw bottles and cans! When my dog is swimming off Magazine Beach, I’m constantly picking scary, sharp objects out of the sand/dirt along the banks. So that, more than goose or dog waste, is the biggest issue. Birds, fish, all wild animals excrement is always in lakes, ponds, rivers, the ocean.

]]> http://www.wbur.org/2010/07/15/swimming-in-the-charles/comment-page-1#comment-21346 kc Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:56:01 +0000 http://www.wbur.org/?p=20063#comment-21346 My friends and jumped in about a week ago. We couldn't help ourselves. It was 85 degrees, the sun sun was setting beautifully over the city, and the water was too irresistible. One of us jumped in (as a dare), and very quickly, 6 of us had jumped in. We were a little concerned, but threw caution to the wind. And it seems like there are at least no short-term side effects so far...I think making the Charles swimmable would do so much for Boston. It would increase the livability of this city 5-fold. My friends and jumped in about a week ago. We couldn’t help ourselves. It was 85 degrees, the sun sun was setting beautifully over the city, and the water was too irresistible. One of us jumped in (as a dare), and very quickly, 6 of us had jumped in. We were a little concerned, but threw caution to the wind. And it seems like there are at least no short-term side effects so far…I think making the Charles swimmable would do so much for Boston. It would increase the livability of this city 5-fold.

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