VIDEO: Summer-long ‘Swim Duwamish’ wraps up in West Seattle

It’s been a big year for milestone swims. Today, another one: That’s Mark Powell, on the last leg of his summer-long “Swim Duwamish” tour, incrementally traveling 55 miles, along the full length of the Green and Duwamish Rivers, to call attention to how vital it is to our region, and yet how fragile, after decades of abuse. As he swam to Seacrest, he didn’t arrive alone:

The Blue Heron Canoeescorted him in; Duwamish Tribe member Ken Workman spoke traditional words of welcome. See and hear for yourself (you’ll also hear what Powell said about his journey):

And then, celebratory cupcakes:

Powell said he set out to find “the heart of the Duwamish” and was glad to see the waters thick with salmon in some places:

His swims were chronicled on this website, where you can also see videos such as this one showing some of the salmon he saw:

Powell emphasized that you can take small steps to make a difference in the future of the river and all who live in it and by it and who depend on it (here’s one good place to learn “7 simple solutions”).

2 Replies to "VIDEO: Summer-long 'Swim Duwamish' wraps up in West Seattle"

  • Duwamish Longhouse October 1, 2015 (6:00 pm)

    An amazing journey down the Duwamish River. WS Blog thanks for the most complete coverage of the story.

  • Duwamish Longhouse October 8, 2015 (6:44 pm)

    http://www.duwamishalive.org

    Duwamish Alive is recruiting volunteers for their annual Duwamish River restoration event on Oct 17th from 10am to 2pm.

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