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[Dr. Backlash]

I live close to the lower Fraser and I was just wondering if anybody knows if its safe to swim in that part of the river, or is it too polluted?  And if it is too polluted, how far up river would I have to go before its not too polluted to swim in the Fraser - Hope or even further north?

Thanks for any insight you can provide!

[bbronswyk2000]

I wouldnt swim in it but have seen several people do it in the lower.

[drh]

I used to water ski off the beach at Barnstan Island back in the 70's It was no big deal back then.

[Verdi]

You will be fine as long as you don't dip your head in the water.

  So yes it is that polluted you could get and eye infection or ear infection.  There was Fin Donnelly that swam the fraser in 1995, to bring attention to the pollution. He said the pollution in the lower river was so bad that he was told not to stick his head under the water.  I believe in the beach at Steveson there are no swimming signs.

If i remember correctly every little town above hope uses the Fraser as it toilet.

But yes i have seen people swimming in stevston..

[jetboatjim]

on a changing tide you can have water on top going out and the water below coming in. can be pretty dangerous if you ask me.

[speycaster]

sshhhh don't discourage people from swimming in the fraser, Mr. Darwin is always looking for candidates.

[Fish Assassin]

I would worry about the currents. It's alot faster than you think.

[ja]

I also remember a news report last summer about someone drowning while swimming in the Fraser in the Triangle Road area around the movie theatres.

[YetiHunter]

I wouldn't go near it when the tide is running. Even at slack tide, you can get a vicious undertow.

[troutbreath]

Just don't swallow any water.

[Nick78]

I think the unpredictable currents of a river in that size are the main thing you have to worry about. Absolutly nothing for " nice weather swimmers", but a well trained swimmer should be fine. And the polution... Well, i don't know. I was walking right next to Portmann Bridge last week and saw a little "stream" flowing into the Fraser... DISGUSTING! dark yellow water with foam on top Maybe the toilet of Coquitlam...

[Rodney]

[Nick78]

That's bad! That was the reason why all the salmon disappeared back in my country. There was a big headline in the newspaper last year when a fisherman caught 1 (one!) salmon...the first in 25 years. As the rivers get clean they seem to make it back (after stocking programs of course). Hopefully it doesn't come that far here but I am not very confident about that...

[speycaster]

Humans are the stupidest animal on earth, they on purpose dump their excrement into the water they need to drink. They destroy the air shed they need for breathing, then they they destroy the land they need for food crops. The sooner they become extinct the better off the earth will be.

[yamadirt 426]

Humans are the stupidest animal on earth, they on purpose dump their excrement into the water they need to drink. They destroy the air shed they need for breathing, then they they destroy the land they need for food crops. The sooner they become extinct the better off the earth will be.

That about somes it up.