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Who do you ask? There's conflicting information. Plus rivers are long and it may be safe upstream but not downstream. Is there a government office I can just call. If so is that the one useful thing the government does?

This river I'm looking at one site says there's poop and insecticides in the water. The other says the fishing is great!.

How do I get to the bottom of this without spending years studying chemistry and biochemistry and testing the water myself?

Who do you ask? There's conflicting information. Plus rivers are long and it may be safe upstream but not downstream. Is there a government office I can just call. If so is that the one useful thing the government does? This river I'm looking at one site says there's poop and insecticides in the water. The other says the fishing is great!. How do I get to the bottom of this without spending years studying chemistry and biochemistry and testing the water myself?

(post is archived)

[–] • 11 pts (edited )

If reptiles and amphibians are common then the waters are likely very clean.

Frogs are to waters what canaries are to mines.

[–] • 1 pt

Wife & friends: "Hey Jim, are you coming in? The water is great!?"

Jim: "Not until I see a frog!"

Wife: "oh great. He does this every time. Just leave him there by himself and he can drink beers all day."

Jim: Excellent

[–] • 1 pt

Never knew this until today and it'll stick with me forever.

[–] • 6 pts

Fish and Wildlife or the Dept of Natural Resources or whatever they may be called, publish that kind of crap.

[–] • 4 pts

You can get the water tested via labs. It's cheap.

[–] • 4 pts

You states Fish and Game...

[–] [deleted] • 2 pts

Thank you, I was reading and reading and thought I might have to post fish and game but thank you for doing it. I can't believe the other responses, it was like reading reddit replies without the faggots.

[–] • 2 pts

Honestly I was like wait. IF you fish or hunt, you had to deal with your states fish and game. So obviously they would be the best to ask.

[–] • 3 pts

Catch & release for fish. You state DNR should have water quality readings for every body od water. Also... If the river has white water you might want to grab a good river map.

[–] • 2 pts

If it is questionable just catch and release.

[–] • 2 pts

Look for bugs in the water, fish and birds also I would go online and see if you can find any reports. Sometimes they'll say what the water is like. Never drink unfiltered water that's for sure. Well you can just make sure that it's literally coming out of the mountain or coming out of the glacier.

[–] • 2 pts

Long time kayaker here, I see a lot of people saying look for wildlife, this won't tell you anything. I've accidentally paddled into sewage and there was plenty of all wildlife. They love it. I prefer salt myself, either paddling the surf or bay side. Salt seems safer/cleaner for me.

Freshwater, here's the trick. Figure out what lake supplies the water to your city. Paddle that and the tributaries leading into that lake. Those will be the cleanest waters in your city. Regardless of where you go, shower immediately after, this will protect you from most bacteria/parasites.

[–] • 1 pt

Our state DNR puts out warnings for mercury and whatnot on their website. Ask a local tackle shop. A great fishing spot does not equal great eating.

[–] • 1 pt

Why don't you just find someplace else to do your douchey, pretentious "kayaking", if you're that fucking worried about it?

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