Mass. beach closures: 40 beaches closed on Sunday, Aug. 10

There are 40 beaches closed across Massachusetts on Sunday, Aug. 10.

Most beach closures are due to excessive bacterial levels, according to the state Department of Public Health .

One of those is the main beach at Walden Pond State Reservation, which will remain closed for the entirety of summer 2025 as a new, state-of-the-art $6.1 million bathhouse is constructed. Red Cross Beach at Walden Pond will remain open, but without lifeguards.

Here is the list of closed beaches:

• Chelmsford: Freeman Lake due to bacterial exceedance and harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Concord: Walden Pond due to construction

• Danvers: Sandy Beach due to bacterial exceedance

• Dartmouth: Moses Smith Creek due to bacterial exceedance

• Georgetown:American Legion Park due to bacterial exceedance

• Harwich: Seymour Pond due to a harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Holden: Eagle Lake due to bacterial exceedance

• Ipswich: Plum Island at Sandy Point due to bacterial exceedance

• Mashpee: Santuit Pond at Bryants Neck and Town Landing due to a harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Methuen: Forest Lake Swimming Beach due to bacterial exceedance

• Middleborough: Camp Yomechas due to bacterial exceedance

• Nantucket:Sesachacha Pond due to bacterial exceedance

• Natick:Memorial Beach (Dug Pond) at Wading due to bacterial exceedance

• Newton:Crystal Lake due to a harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• North Andover:Stevens Pond - Center due to bacterial exceedance

• Oxford: Carbuncle Pond due to a harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Pittsfield: Lulu Pond Beach due to bacterial exceedance

• Salem: Children's Island - Back and Wally - and Ocean Avenue due to bacterial exceedance

• Saugus:Pearce Lake at Breakheart Reservation due to bacterial exceedance

• Sharon:Community Center Beach due to bacterial exceedance

• Southwick: South Pond Beach due to bacterial exceedance

• Springfield: Camp Wilder at Right due to bacterial exceedance. Bass Pond and Paddle Club at Right closed due to a harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Templeton: Beamans Pond at Day Use due to bacterial exceedance

• Townsend: Pearl Hill Pond Beach due to bacterial exceedance

• Wareham: Shangri-La due to a harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Westfield: Hampton Ponds at Kingsley Beach and Lamberts Beach due to a harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Williamstown:Margaret Lindley Park due to bacterial exceedance

• Wilmington: Wilmington Town Beach at Center and Right due to bacterial exceedance

• Winchendon: Lanke Dennison State Park at Day Use Beach and North Camp Beach due to bacterial exceedance

• Winthrop: Donovans and Halford due to bacterial exceedance

What are the risks?

Swimming in beach water that has high levels of bacteria can be risky and can result in illnesses, including:

• Gastrointestinal symptoms- nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain

• Respiratory symptoms- sore throat, cough, runny nose and sneezing

• Dermatological symptoms- skin rash and itching

• Eye and ear symptoms- irritation, earache, itching

• Flu-like symptoms- fever and chills

Stay aware of any warnings or beach closures that indicate that the water is not safe. Check the weather forecast, avoid swimming after heavy rain, watch for signs of water pollution like discolored, fast flowing and strong smelling water, do not swim near trash or litter floating in the water, avoid swallowing the water and swim in areas designated as "swim beaches."

Although a beach could be posted, the public can still visit the location and take part in other activities that do not involve contact with the water. This can include anything from playing sports like volleyball or frisbee to sunbathing or collecting seashells or sea glass, DPH stated.

The public can also help to reduce contamination and pollution at the beach by:

• Cleaning up after pets

• Not feeding the birds as it encourages them to hang around the beaches, which increases fecal matter

• Using public restrooms

• Picking up and throwing away trash using public restrooms or properly disposing of it at home

• Not entering the water when sick or feeling unwell

• Changing diapers and putting plastic or rubber pants, known as swim diapers, on diapered children before they enter the water

• Not dumping anything down storm drains, as water moving through these drains does not get treated at a wastewater facility and flows directly into lakes and streams

• Avoiding the use of fertilizers and pesticides in yards since these chemicals can easily carry into the surface of waters during rain events and snowmelt

• Use walkways and avoid walking on dunes to prevent erosion and preserve vegetation that filters out pollutants from runoff before they reach the beach

More details from the DPH can be found here .

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Read the original article on MassLive .