I am glad I am not a Smelt: Swim Day #32

Categories: Atlantic Ocean, Local History, Lynch Park, Water Quality

Nov 11, 2009 02:56 pm 3 Comments

I drove past the North River thousands of times before I ever learned its name.

Route Map Swim For A Healthy World Day #32

This finger of the Atlantic worms its way up through Beverly Harbor and into the grungy infrastructure of Salem, Massachusetts.

North River, Salem, MA. Photo: Christopher Swain

It ducks under North Street (a.k.a. Route 114) and continues life as a channel-ized canal.

Channel-ized canal portion of North River, Salem, Ma. Photo: Christopher Swain

I skipped the canal section, as the underground pipe was too small for me to swim through, and started swimming at the head of the river.

Auto Junk Yard, North River, Salem, MA. Photo: Karen Walsh

I passed trash lined banks, boatyards, and auto junk yards.

The runoff from these operations--copper paints, dog poop, fuel, and asbestos dust--hasn't helped an already struggling Smelt fishery. (Before the passage of the Clean Water Act of 1972, things were even worse for these migrating fish: the entire North River used to turn red, brown, or green depending on which sorts of industrial dyes were being dumped in that day.)

When I cleared the Beverly-Salem Bridge, I got a lovely glimpse of industrial Salem on my right.

Salem, MA from Beverly Harbor. Photo: Karen Walsh

As the sun bled pink, I breaststroked out into Beverly Harbor, and hung a left into the cove at Lynch Park.

Sunset over Beverly Harbor, Beverly, MA. Photo: Christopher Swain

I snapped off this shot of the rocky bottom, and then waded in to the beach.

Photo: Christopher Swain

Thanks for reading.

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Click here for today's route and water quality map, thoughfully sponsored by Carol Kent Yacht Charters.

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Tim Ray
November 11, 2009 - 7:13pm

I'm thankful that your journey has continued and I look forward to reading possible future posts about grade school visits. Keep it up!

Alex
November 11, 2009 - 9:07pm

The waters you are plying continue to blow my mind...and put goosebumps on my flesh. You're a trooper. BTW, in Wisconsin where I grew up they call those fish Sch-melt...and they're pretty tasty.