Support Smart, Local Journalism
Make a Small Monthly Donation

Give now

swimming
Posted inClimate Issue 2026

Fixing a Hole

What’s to be done with the cyanobacteria-breeding Ross Island lagoon?
Avatar photo by Abe Asher

This is one of many articles in the Mercury’s 2026 Climate Issue. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you’re feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us here.—eds. When Willie Levenson moved to Portland three decades ago, he very quickly learned how locals related […]

Posted inFeature

Where to Swim (and Float) in Portland and Beyond

Jump in with Our Roundup of Local Swimming and Floating Spots
Avatar photo Courtney Ferguson

GROWING UP in the boonies of Idaho, summertime meant swimming our fool faces off all the time—before work, at lunch, and careening off boats after work. But moving to the city put a little damper on my backstroke action (and yours too, I suspect). But guys… we’re just being silly—we’re rolling deep in bodies of […]

Gift this article