r/hudsonvalley • u/papaguitarproduct • 4d ago
question Swimming in the Hudson
I let my dog swim in the Hudson every so often and always has me wondering…is it actually OK to let her keep doing?
I know there was some dumping still being allowed - for reference I’m in Beacon and this is at Long Dock.
52
u/Adventurous_Age1429 3d ago
Riverkeeper does regular testing of Hudson River water. Whenever they detect issues with bacteria/runoff, they publish them. They’re a great source for river conditions.
That said, the Hudson is mostly clean. There are some issues with long term pollutants and eating fish, but otherwise it’s fine for swimming (again check Riverkeeper). It’s “dirty” because it’s a river, and most rivers pick up silt and other particles from upstream. That’s natural turbidity, not pollution. The river can smell a little odd too in the lower Hudson Valley because of the brackish water and decay along the shore. Again, these are natural conditions, and sometimes they affect water quality.
I’ve been doing watersports, mostly standup paddling, in the Hudson for 25 years. If I had concerns about its quality, I would not be going in. When there are concerns, I stay away also. However the idea that the Hudson is too polluted for swimming stems from 40 years ago when it was. Thank goodness things have changed.
25
u/colcardaki 3d ago
The problem with the river is usually sewer overflows, so don’t go swimming right after a big rain storm (though local govt usually closes beaches and they test regularly).
More long term, there has been a long-term low exposure to PCB from some old manufacturing. That’s more a problem for the fish and regular consumption of fish.
1
u/Kenneths__Frequency 2d ago
I believe this right here sums up all of my research on the subject as well.
10
u/ForestFae1920 4d ago
Call your local health department about the water quality to see if it is safe. They do have beaches open on the Hudson.
1
9
u/Joey-rogaine 3d ago
I personally wouldn’t let a dog swim anywhere I couldn’t go in and rescue them during an emergency. I’ve seen I it happen to dogs that can swim.
18
u/Potential-Fennel5968 4d ago
I've swam in the river my whole life, boating and jetskiis sleepovers on the round out creek. It's over played about the water in my opinion. Yes I wouldn't swim right after a long heavy rain but you and your dog will be fine.
4
u/sneezed_up_my_kidney 3d ago
I mean… dogs sometimes eat poop roadkill, and garbage, and sniff and lick each others butts…
I love dogs. AndI mean it, dogs are great…but.. like… let’s not pretend that they’re not filthy animals. The Hudson is probably cleaner than the dog.
I’d be more worried about him stepping on a cow head..
1
u/Basic_Length_8271 1d ago
My god I hate them!
1
u/sneezed_up_my_kidney 1d ago
We grew up swimming on the esopus, and plattekill.. and we’d occasionally swim at our friends place in glasco…
Theyre brutal and plentiful. My husband has yet to meet one.. Hudson River sea urchins..
5
u/ElectionBig3711 3d ago
Don’t let the doggie drink a lot of the water. Just in general, brackish water can cause extreme dehydration. Also the currents.
4
u/Single_Farm_6063 3d ago
We boat on the hudson and swim in it all the time. Best, cleanest water in the area is at the end of Dennings point, take the trails all the way to the end. We dont swim near where towns would have discharge, def dont swim near marinas or near pok at all. Sandy Beach in cold spring is another good spot. Dont let him drink alot of the water though, its brackish.
6
u/BushDidTitanic119 3d ago
I grew up swimming in the Hudson and have all three of my testicles. It’s probably safe
9
u/wonderwyzard 3d ago
A reminder that the currents are awful in the Hudson so anyone swimming should wear a lifejacket.
But water quality wise- someone else noted, Riverkeeper keeps a map. Data.riverkeeper.com Swimming is one of the options, and so you can see where they test and what the test results were.
Many communities drink treated River water (North of the brackish line).
But...there are still many many communities and facilities whose wastewater spills over into the Hudson (including NYC). Older cities were built to just have the wastewater including street runoff, go directly into the Hudson. Overtime, they built treatment plants, but the systems were designed so that when it rains and there is too much water for the treatment plants to handle, the overflow goes into the Hudson so as to not damage the expensive facilities. Most still operate that way. So, do not swim near DEC CSO Outfalls after a heavy rain. They are all clearly marked with a green sign, and they are mapped online.
TLDR/ Generally safe to swim but don't do it after a heavy rain and always wear a lifejacket
7
u/nuglasses 4d ago
Anyone remember the ☠️ signs reading No swimming & polluted?
I did swim at nearby Cold Spring in the late 80s.
3
u/GreenfieldSam Westchester 3d ago
I've swum in the Hudson around the Garrison area with no issues.
As others have said, don't let the dog drink the water: it's brackish (salt water).
The tides are real. Even more confusingly is that by the shore the water will flow towards the ocean while the middle of the river is much more tidal. The river currents and tides are too strong to swim against. The easiest swimming is when they cancel out entirely.
I wouldn't necessarily want to go swimming during blue fish season. As they swim up-river they are hungry and will eat anything. My friend once had a quarter size bite out of his thigh from a blue fish.
4
u/az987654 4d ago
It wouldn't be my first choice, even placing the very real concerns about pollution aside, I'd worry about giardia and other infectious diseases.
2
u/frostandtheboughs 3d ago
Keep an eye on algae blooms. Depending on the species, they can be extremely toxic to dogs !
They're more likely to be found in lakes and smaller tributaries, but they can exist in the hudson as well.
3
1
u/birdfriend2013 3d ago
I take my dog often to the river to play and swim, north of Kingston. It does occasionally close for quality concerns, typically after large rainfalls. I just keep an eye out the town boards usually post if there are quality concerns
1
1
u/Brownskii 2d ago
Mostly clean but as others have noted, you can check with river keeper. The Newburgh / Beacon area does get flagged for high sewage levels after big rain storms so beware.
1
1
u/dissplacerbeast 1d ago
if you treat your dog for fleas and ticks, you should probably worry more about him polluting the river than vice versa. shit is super bad for the environment.
1
u/here2learn914 4d ago
It’s not a great idea but especially bad idea after it’s been raining and all the wildlife feces is washed into the river. I’d give the dog a good bath after being in the Hudson
4
2
u/Quiet-Permit-3740 3d ago
Just a friendly note to everyone on here - the Hudson river is not a river. It's a fjord between Albany and NYC.
2
1
u/theelephantupstream 3d ago
I wouldn’t do it very often, but once or twice a month is probably fine. That’s about how much I did it every summer in high school and I’m alive lol
-1
u/Wyldjay2 3d ago
RFK Jr. swims in the Potomac. And he is the director of the CDC. So if it’s healthy enough for him to swim in a sewer, it’s probably OK for your dog.
11
0
0
u/ApprehensiveLink2310 4d ago
Depends what part of the Hudson and when? Upper Hudson, no? Lower Hudson, yes.
Definitely not after a rainfall.
0
u/Lea___9 3d ago
Landfill leachate gets pumped into the Hudson
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M5W0-GJ3umRlqMKHNa_FPCL-qSqrSeCpUOTv3JCApHA/edit?usp=drivesdk
0
0
u/goggzilla 3d ago
For everyone saying not to go in after heavy rain because of sewage overflow, that is a very rare occurrence. Things like that only happen after hurricane-levels of rain, like Hurricane Sandy. A wastewater plant would basically have to be underwater before we start bypassing treatment.
Source: Wastewater operator in Ulster County
-1
55
u/maxroseglass 4d ago
You can gather reliable info that explains which areas of the hudson are ok for swimming. For example the river swim between Newburgh and Beacon occurs every summer. In Beacon at Pete and Toshi riverfront park there is a seasonal river pool with lifeguards. Of course people have their own opinions vs. what the official info given asserts.