Overview

There is a division in Pittsburgh between people who have and have not experienced the rivers. Those who have experienced the rivers talk about amazing views and the enjoyment of river activities. This is evedant by their paths, campfires, chairs and ropes swings.

Those who have not experienced our rivers are turned off by images of steel mills, barges and floods. I have also spoken to local fishers and boaters in Pittsburgh who perceive there to be a lack of access, value and safety. When these people learn about the rivers they find that many of their fears are not true.

If the public were able to see the value in our rivers they will want to enjoy them. Many people have misconceptions about our rivers which has built a fear of the rivers into our communities. We should not be held back because of ignorance.

To combat these common fears I produced documentation of the possibilities of swimming in the rivers.

I chose swimming to evaluate the base conditions needed for all river related activates. The information can easily be analyzed and expanded to create a boaters or fishers guide to Pittsburgh.

The information that I gathered shows the current state of swimming in Pittsburgh’s rivers to be much better than most people would think. A 1996 Fish and Boat Commission study found 32 access points in the same area I found over 80 with 70 more potential access points. However, feasibility has very little to do with where and why people go to the rivers. It turns out that people go to the most attractive places along the river no matter how hard they are to get to.