Murray River marathon swim to promote river health

SYDNEY, Australia - Australian marathon swimmer Tammy van Wisse hopes to have 70 kilometers of one of Australia's longest rivers behind her by nightfall Nov. 6, the second day of her three-month 2,400-km swim to promote healthy rivers. Van Wisse took the plunge into the 2,700-km Murray River, a crucial irrigation source for Australia's wheat and sheep belt now threatened by salinity, blue-green algae and poor water flow. The swim, planned for 18 months, was delayed one week by heavy rain.