You may think that the rivers are fenced up, barren wastelands where you only go if you’re a barge captain. You might think that swimming in the river would be far too dangerous because of fast water, debris or radiation that could give your kid a third eye. You may think that few people, if any go to the river because there is no way to get to the rivers. If this sounds true, you probably have never taken a walk along the river, gotten your feet wet, swung on a rope or splashed around at the river's edge.

The truth is there are over 140 places you can get into the river. Many of these places are visited year round and in the swimming season some rope swings are used daily. Pittsburgh has turned its back to the rivers for a hundred years but they have remained places of beauty and wonder that only a few enjoy.

Fear, fueled by a lack of knowledge and a century of industrial uses, is more of an obstruction to recreational use of the rivers today than physical barriers. There are dangers that exist on the rivers but none are as severe as people tend to think they are. It is easy to predict and avoid hazardes conditions that arise with a little basic knowledge about the rivers and some common sense.

This project is intended to shed some light on the condition of our rivers. Inside you will find a set of infomation that is usefull for anyone interested in using the rivers for recreation, whether you fish, boat or ropeswing.

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions please email Ben at bl2@andrew.cmu.edu