My Watermark is the Speed River, Ontario.

The Speed River runs through the heart of the city of Guelph Ontario so it has played a central role in the city's founding and development. We are fortunate to live on the river in the downtown section on what some might consider the river's oldest settlement heritage feature -the Allan's Mill pond.

For many years I have taken a token swim since water quality here is not inviting yet by trying to take that swim I make a little investment in the health of the river.

So around July, I wait for conditions to be right. We need a big but gentle rainfall. With it the streets are swept of debris and the river clouds up. But if it was a steady gentle rain, within a day or two all that is gone downstream and from upstream comes clean clear water that looks and smells good. And in that window -before the water flow slows down and before the algal blooms and sludge return, in I go.

Depth is good for swimming for a bout a hundred metres going upstream. It is great to be able to swim right downtown from my backyard. No commuting. No fossil fuel use. Mind you I keep my head above water and shower off upon returning.

Well I did not get to swim this year -low rainfall, big goose population and other factors. Saw some teenagers jumping in and hoped they did not catch anything -the water did not look good. But man they were having fun nonetheless.

So there is work to do. Wouldn't it be great if waterholes along the Speed River were always swimmable like in earlier times!