Human Access Project encourages river swimming, social distancing during the pandemic

More people are taking to rivers to cool off this summer, especially because outdoor swimming allows for social distancing.

For the last 10 years, Portlander Willie Levenson has been encouraging people to swim in the Willamette and Columbia rivers. His Human Access Project has cleaned-up and opened Audrey McCall Beach and Poet’s Beach downtown, as well as installed ladders to allow people to swim off the Portland fire house dock.

He said there’s been renewed interest in swimming in the river due to pandemic-related closures and people looking to spend time outside.

“You know it’s a celebration of how far we’ve come with our river that people are getting back into it,” said Levenson.

“And ultimately, when people get into it, they care more about it and are inclined to take better care of it.”

Parts of the Willamette are still so polluted they’re considered a Superfund site. But this week the city of Portland also celebrated an entire year since there was a sewage overflow into the Willamette.

“That likely has not happened since the 1930s,” said Levenson.

“Our big pipe system, our green infrastructure, all of the work of many, many environmental organizations to improve habitat and address point source pollution. It’s a celebration of how far we’ve come with our river.”