Swim the Snake delighted water enthusiasts

LYONS FERRY ­- The eleventh annual Swim the Snake, an open-water swim and paddling event, was held on Saturday, August 10, at Lyons Ferry State Park and Lyons Ferry Marina. This event is a fundraiser for the Blue Mountain Resource Conservation and Development Council, a regional non-profit that supports local competitive youth summer swim programs in Southeast Wash. The popular event was first held in 2013.

Twenty open-water swimmers and seven paddlers enjoyed the warm summer day, refreshing river temperature, and negligible winds.

The paddlers started the event at Lyons Ferry Marina and paddled to Lyons Ferry State Park. Once they reached the marina, the open-water swimmers entered the water.

River patrols from Columbia and Franklin Counties, managed traffic in the channel to protect participants. Kennewick's U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary was on course for an added safety measure. The event organizers coordinated with local barge companies and monitored grain growers' river traffic closely before and during the event.

Many volunteers helped guide the swimmers and paddlers across the river, register for the event, check out, and pass out fresh, chilled melon slices and water afterward.

According to participants and event organizers, local volunteers are the backbone of this event.

Swim the Snake depends on sponsorships and donations from local businesses, including Puget Sound Energy, Blue Mountain Community Foundation, Banner Bank, and Dayton Chamber of Commerce. Washington State Parks, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Port of Columbia also support this event.

The next opportunity to Swim the Snake will be on August 9, 2025. Organizers will make registration details available by Thanksgiving at http://www.swimthesnake.org. See you in the river.