"The waters of the Rogue River Basin are safe for fishing, boating and other recreation," says the state of Oregon. But the comment comes in the release of a report showing the presence of toxic substances in the river and its tributaries, as well as in the creatures that inhabit those waterways.
The substances are present, but not abundant. We get a sense of the situation and the degree of concern in a conversation with Dan Brown of the Department of Environmental Quality, along with Bill Meyers, DEQ's Rogue Basin Coordinator.
They explain how the information was obtained, and where the work goes from here.
A late email reminded us where you can check for swimming conditions, in-season: https://www.theswimguide.org/.