Here in the dog days of summer, many Portlanders rely on the cool waters of the Willamette for a much-needed break from the heat. Whether your activity of choice is boating, stand up paddleboarding, or swimming, getting in the water can provide relief from our higher-than-average recent temperatures that have reached up to and above 100 this past week.
However, you may want to think again before getting your feet wet.
This is due to dangerous blue-green algae blooms that have been growing rapidly over the past few days. On Tuesday, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) issued an advisory for people and pets to stay out of the water due to toxic algae blooms in the Willamette River from the Ross Island Lagoon near the Sellwood neighborhood up to Cathedral Park, the northernmost neighborhood in the city—effectively shutting down the entire stretch of river that runs through Portland.
map of contaminated area, photo via Multnomah County
Just days before the advisory had only been in effect for two small sections of
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