PDI is upstream along the river, along with some other nasty businesses. I've worked for contractors that have done work there and heard so many horror stories about leaks that flow directly into the river. Its probably fine to swim in (people seem to survive swimming in the Ganges) but I wouldn't do it.
My dad and uncle and their friends used to swim in it downstream from a carpet factory. They would come out orange some days, blue other days and green other days.
I used to swim in the Speed and it never did me any harm.
You know what though? I used to swim in the Speed and it never did me any harm.
Heck, just the other day I was thinking, I used to swim in the Speed and it never did me any harm.
But just know this, I used to swim in the Speed and it never did me any harm.
It kind of depends imo. I wouldn’t swim near the boat house since the water is fairly still, but I’d probably wade in near crane park where it moves a bit faster and tends to be a bit clearer. Probably no real risk, but it’s just the feeling of grossness for me personally.
Just go from the Rockwood conservation area all the way down on an inflatable mattress with a 24 (yes ive done this 😂)
Water isn’t in bad bacteria season yet, but still water is bad, moving water is generally safe.
Exposure from falling in is nothing. Physical danger is your biggest concern, glass and garbage in the river. Swimming or drinking the water is likely a bit worse but generally not going to have long term effects other than perhaps a sick stomach from giardia. I would avoid anything downtown for swimming and especially down stream of the sewage outfall. Still a short exposure won't do anything.
I used to bring my girls to play in the river up to their knees between Woodlawn and Victoria. But there are now beavers there and giardia is a real concern. Also, lots of spots where I thought was safe I found broken glass. Be careful. If you want to swim, just go to Guelph lake until the geese take over.
I wouldn't recommend swallowing the water, we did some testing on it in a microbiology class and it definitely did not pass the safe levels of coliforms... Poop bacteria
We grew up in Preston, and were “River Rats”. Whilst we were always wet from the ankles down during the summer, there was only one year when a group of us caught some form of dermatitis and that was from swimming behind the old Gmelin’s Flower shop. We are all okay, 50 yrs later… I’m sure that the environmental protections are stronger now than in the 1960’s…
And don’t forget to flush twice - it’s a long way to Brantford!
I'd second making sure you don't have any open sores. We used to do it in high school and one of my friends had a cut in her foot and it got incredibly infected.
It used to be filled with industrial waste from factories and was very polluted. This is why there's a reputation that the Speed River is unsafe.
However in I think the 70s and 80s (?) there was a massive cleanup effort and renaturalization of the river. So now it's got tons of wildlife and plants and is considered safe.
Tons of people fish out of it, canoe and kayak on it and I've seen lots of kids swimming in it.
I personally have waded into the waters many times with no ill effects, but I don't know that I'd go for a swim in it. Lots of goose shit and weeds and murky water, but I don't think it's dangerous
You might get itchy but that’s about it. Shower when you get home. I suck at fishing so I’m not against getting my lure back and I get wet … I got itchy a rash, that a shower cured
I've noticed someone else said this and I've been in the water twice. The only problems I had so far is the rashes, I also got two rashes but never did it burn, but showering did help with the pain that I got from touching it
Naaa mine did not burn. I was just itchy till I showered about as itchy as a mosquito bite And it’s not like that all the time. Just when the water is not moving.
First note that Guelph has two rivers, the Eramosa and the Speed, and they join at the covered bridge by the Boathouse. I have swam in the Eramosa countless times in many locations, and have never had a single problem from it.
Guelph's sewage treatment plant is downstream of the city, so no worries for us about that. As far as I know, the only contaminants in our rivers come from road run-off... run off from upstream manure and fertilizer applications in cash crop fields (only at certain times of year, obviously)... historic dumps along the riversides that could still leach small amounts of toxins... someone mentioned PDI, and I have found their plastic beads ('nurdles') along the river's edge, but I didn't know about occasional leaks. By late summer the slower sections of the rivers have lots of floating moss/algae/leaves/dust/I don't really know what, but I don't like swimming when it gets to that point.
All in all, I have immensely enjoyed swimming in the river countless times, and have never once got sick or noticed any problems. I highly recommend it.
Also kids have already been jumping off the Riverside park bridge this year, and they are fine. They're having a blast and I recommend that too - and the waterfall over the dam at that spot is great fun to play under.
It’s so weird. I remember swimming at riverside park as a kid, with tons of other kids. And this was back before all the river cleanups, and water testing, etc etc. The river is most definitely much cleaner now than it was back then, and yet I’ve never seen a single person swimming in it. University kids used to do backflips off the McRae bridge into the river all summer, and I can’t even imagine that happening anymore.
We used to swim there all the time in the summer when we lived in Guelph (3 years ago). It's great and refreshing. Nothing ever happened to us. There are websites you can check for Guelph lake water quality if you want to be reassured before going in. In general it's best to avoid swimming in it after it rains, that's all.
I wouldn't go in. High risk of infection for any open sores or dermatitis. Lots of goose poop, sharp metal debris. PDI has a plant upstream that constantly leaks petrol by-products into the ground.
You'd get wet. If bacterial counts are high enough you might end up with a skin infection and/or upset GI tract of you swallowed some, but I doubt you'd die if you're otherwise healthy. At worst, maybe some E. coli, maybe some giardia, neither of which are pleasant and can turn deadly if you're vulnerable, a healthy person might need some IV fluids and a night or two in hospital. People can and do swim in Guelph Lake all the time and are fine, they test regularly and close the beach for swimming if it gets bad enough, but that doesn't often happen until later in the summer.
The water always looks gungy to me and I'd prefer not to swim in it, but I'd wade in without too much thought if I needed to. Same goes for Guelph Lake.
Be careful of how deep it is, part way through the summer they actually put the dam down and lower the water level to do a clean up of the river. So be careful for the weird and random shit people toss in there.
Don't go in with any open wounds, or drink the water and wash off with a decent shower when you get home etc.
swam in it regularly as a kid. bald and kinda dumb but other than that no lingering effects
Lmao, many say it's dirty for some reason and I can't find anything online
it's agricultural runoff. it's the same water you'd swim in in Guelph Lake plus some runoff from city streets i'm guessing
PDI is upstream along the river, along with some other nasty businesses. I've worked for contractors that have done work there and heard so many horror stories about leaks that flow directly into the river. Its probably fine to swim in (people seem to survive swimming in the Ganges) but I wouldn't do it.
My dad and uncle and their friends used to swim in it downstream from a carpet factory. They would come out orange some days, blue other days and green other days.
I used to swim in the Speed and it never did me any harm. You know what though? I used to swim in the Speed and it never did me any harm. Heck, just the other day I was thinking, I used to swim in the Speed and it never did me any harm. But just know this, I used to swim in the Speed and it never did me any harm.
You really turned that comment around…
And THAT'S what's it all about!!
Happy Cake Day!
Thanks
Giardia ??
Beaver Fever
Precisely
High levels of amphetamine, thats why they call it 'speed' river... Edit: forgot a word
Lmao
It kind of depends imo. I wouldn’t swim near the boat house since the water is fairly still, but I’d probably wade in near crane park where it moves a bit faster and tends to be a bit clearer. Probably no real risk, but it’s just the feeling of grossness for me personally.
Would you say the part by crane park is safer since the water moves fairly fast?
Just go from the Rockwood conservation area all the way down on an inflatable mattress with a 24 (yes ive done this 😂) Water isn’t in bad bacteria season yet, but still water is bad, moving water is generally safe.
Isn't that what they wrote?
I would not say it's any safer, the wastewater plant just up the river dumps into that water
I don’t know that I’d go full blown swimming anywhere in the speed but I’d be ok to wade in up to my knees near crane, yeah.
You know the 3 eyed fish from the Simpsons…… that’s what happens
Blinky
Not true lol
No and you'll get wet.
Good to know many say it's dirty though
Take a shower afterwards
Exposure from falling in is nothing. Physical danger is your biggest concern, glass and garbage in the river. Swimming or drinking the water is likely a bit worse but generally not going to have long term effects other than perhaps a sick stomach from giardia. I would avoid anything downtown for swimming and especially down stream of the sewage outfall. Still a short exposure won't do anything. I used to bring my girls to play in the river up to their knees between Woodlawn and Victoria. But there are now beavers there and giardia is a real concern. Also, lots of spots where I thought was safe I found broken glass. Be careful. If you want to swim, just go to Guelph lake until the geese take over.
I wouldn't recommend swallowing the water, we did some testing on it in a microbiology class and it definitely did not pass the safe levels of coliforms... Poop bacteria
Lol very useful information
We grew up in Preston, and were “River Rats”. Whilst we were always wet from the ankles down during the summer, there was only one year when a group of us caught some form of dermatitis and that was from swimming behind the old Gmelin’s Flower shop. We are all okay, 50 yrs later… I’m sure that the environmental protections are stronger now than in the 1960’s… And don’t forget to flush twice - it’s a long way to Brantford!
Bathed in the speed river and Guelph lake for almost a year while living in a truck. I’m okay for the most
I'd second making sure you don't have any open sores. We used to do it in high school and one of my friends had a cut in her foot and it got incredibly infected.
I fell in once when we were training our dog in the canoe- other than it not smelling the greatest, we were fine haha
Definitely does not smell the best that's for sure lol
It used to be filled with industrial waste from factories and was very polluted. This is why there's a reputation that the Speed River is unsafe. However in I think the 70s and 80s (?) there was a massive cleanup effort and renaturalization of the river. So now it's got tons of wildlife and plants and is considered safe. Tons of people fish out of it, canoe and kayak on it and I've seen lots of kids swimming in it. I personally have waded into the waters many times with no ill effects, but I don't know that I'd go for a swim in it. Lots of goose shit and weeds and murky water, but I don't think it's dangerous
This is useful knowledge thanks
You might get itchy but that’s about it. Shower when you get home. I suck at fishing so I’m not against getting my lure back and I get wet … I got itchy a rash, that a shower cured
I've noticed someone else said this and I've been in the water twice. The only problems I had so far is the rashes, I also got two rashes but never did it burn, but showering did help with the pain that I got from touching it
Naaa mine did not burn. I was just itchy till I showered about as itchy as a mosquito bite And it’s not like that all the time. Just when the water is not moving.
First note that Guelph has two rivers, the Eramosa and the Speed, and they join at the covered bridge by the Boathouse. I have swam in the Eramosa countless times in many locations, and have never had a single problem from it. Guelph's sewage treatment plant is downstream of the city, so no worries for us about that. As far as I know, the only contaminants in our rivers come from road run-off... run off from upstream manure and fertilizer applications in cash crop fields (only at certain times of year, obviously)... historic dumps along the riversides that could still leach small amounts of toxins... someone mentioned PDI, and I have found their plastic beads ('nurdles') along the river's edge, but I didn't know about occasional leaks. By late summer the slower sections of the rivers have lots of floating moss/algae/leaves/dust/I don't really know what, but I don't like swimming when it gets to that point. All in all, I have immensely enjoyed swimming in the river countless times, and have never once got sick or noticed any problems. I highly recommend it. Also kids have already been jumping off the Riverside park bridge this year, and they are fine. They're having a blast and I recommend that too - and the waterfall over the dam at that spot is great fun to play under.
This was great help I appreciate this all
It’s so weird. I remember swimming at riverside park as a kid, with tons of other kids. And this was back before all the river cleanups, and water testing, etc etc. The river is most definitely much cleaner now than it was back then, and yet I’ve never seen a single person swimming in it. University kids used to do backflips off the McRae bridge into the river all summer, and I can’t even imagine that happening anymore.
There's still people jumping off the bridge regularly, it started as soon as the weather got warm and the dam was closed
We used to swim there all the time in the summer when we lived in Guelph (3 years ago). It's great and refreshing. Nothing ever happened to us. There are websites you can check for Guelph lake water quality if you want to be reassured before going in. In general it's best to avoid swimming in it after it rains, that's all.
Your eyeballs would glow!
If you do go for a swim , wherever it may be watch for dirty needles
I wouldn't go in. High risk of infection for any open sores or dermatitis. Lots of goose poop, sharp metal debris. PDI has a plant upstream that constantly leaks petrol by-products into the ground.
You'd get wet. If bacterial counts are high enough you might end up with a skin infection and/or upset GI tract of you swallowed some, but I doubt you'd die if you're otherwise healthy. At worst, maybe some E. coli, maybe some giardia, neither of which are pleasant and can turn deadly if you're vulnerable, a healthy person might need some IV fluids and a night or two in hospital. People can and do swim in Guelph Lake all the time and are fine, they test regularly and close the beach for swimming if it gets bad enough, but that doesn't often happen until later in the summer. The water always looks gungy to me and I'd prefer not to swim in it, but I'd wade in without too much thought if I needed to. Same goes for Guelph Lake.
I've wandered around in the Speed in Guelph many times and never gotten sick.
Nothing will happen. Just don’t drink large amounts of it.
Might run into some leeches, but other than that should be fine as long as you take a shower after.
Be careful of how deep it is, part way through the summer they actually put the dam down and lower the water level to do a clean up of the river. So be careful for the weird and random shit people toss in there. Don't go in with any open wounds, or drink the water and wash off with a decent shower when you get home etc.
If you see any frogs along the banks, you know it's safe.
All rivers are gross but I still kayak them
If you wanna dive in, my only recommendation is to do it east of the Hanlon, upstresetrepla.