Is the East River clean?

You may find the occasional plastic bag and litter free-flowing along the riverside, but in the middle of the East River, you will find yourself in deep clean waters that have been drastically improved within the past few decades. Ultimately, the city has and continues to make rigorous efforts to improve water quality.



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An estimated 100,000 people in the Hudson Valley rely on the Hudson for their drinking water.

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It is not safe for swimming, fishing or boating especially in rainstorms. The Harlem River, a 9.3 mile long natural straight, connects the Hudson and East Rivers in New York City.

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The East River is a saltwater tidal estuary in New York City. The waterway, which is actually not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end.

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5 Ways To Tell If The Water Isn't Safe For Swimming
  • 1.) The water looks funky. ...
  • 2.) The water smells bad. ...
  • 3.) There are pipes draining into the water or you see clear signs of surface runoff. ...
  • 4.) There are dead animals or fish washing up on shore or in the water. ...
  • 5.) Signs tell you not to go in.


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3) East River, between Manhattan and Brooklyn One of New York's beaches with the most shark attacks is along the East River. The two shark attacks in the East River are the extremes of shark attacks.

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The State Health Department regularly publishes advisories warning that because of PCB contamination, most adults should eat fish caught from the East River no more than once a month and should avoid eels entirely.

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The Mississippi River This once pristine waterway is perhaps the most polluted in the United States. Part of the problem stems from agriculture. The Mississippi River traverses much of America's heartland, drawing no end of runoff from factory farms. Animal waste isn't the only problem.

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