KENNEBEC JOURNAL • June 25, 2022
Swimming in the Kennebec River has been banned in Augusta since at least 1986, but officials recently amended that rule to make way for an upcoming triathlon that will include a river swim. The ban is only on swimming from or adjacent to city properties, not the entire city. “That river, especially if you’re unfamiliar, could be quite a dangerous river,” said Earl Kingsbury, the city’s director of community services, whose roles include serving as the inland city’s harbormaster. “At low tide, the currents are tricky. And you still have dams upstream, that have releases, that could create a unique current.”