Mass. beach closures: 47 beaches are closed on Labor Day

A total of 47 Massachusetts beaches are closed this Labor Day, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH).

Most of the beaches are closed because of high levels of bacteria while others are closed to cyanobacteria, or algae, blooms, according to the DPH. The blooms can create toxins in the water that can cause harm to people and animals.

Walden Pond State Reservation's beach is closed for ongoing work on a new $6.1 million bathhouse . The construction will last all of summer 2025. Red Cross Beach at Walden Pond will remain open but there will be no lifeguards.

See the full list below:

• Ashby: Damon Pond Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Ashland: Ashland Reservoir Main Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Beverly: Woodbury Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Billerica: Nutting Lake's Micozzi Beach, north and south — bacterial exceedance

• Braintree: Smith Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Brewster: Cliff's Pond at DYS and Main — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Chicopee: Chicopee Beach — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Concord: main beach at Walden Pond — bathhouse construction

• Danvers: Sandy Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Essex: Centennial Grove — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Franklin: Chilson Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Georgetown: American Legion Park — bacterial exceedance

• Harwich: Seymour Pond — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Holden: Eagle Lake — bacterial exceedance

• Mashpee: Santuit Pond at Bryants Neck and Town Landing — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Nantucket: Sesachacha Pond — bacterial exceedance

• Natick: Memorial Beach at Dug Pond — bacterial exceedance

• North Andover: Center of Stevens Pond and Frye Pond Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Northampton:Musante Beach — unknown

• Oxford: Carbuncle Pond — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Salem: Wally and the back end of Children's Island, Ocean Avenue — bacterial exceedance

• Saugus: Pearce Lake at Breakheart Reservation — bacterial exceedance

• Sharon: Community Center Beach and Sharon Town Beach at Central — bacterial exceedance

• Sherborn:Farm Pond — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Southwick: South Pond Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Springfield: Camp Wilder Beach, right side — bacterial exceedance

  • Right sides of Bass Pond and Paddle Club — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Templeton: Beaman's Pond Campground — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

  • Beaman's Pond Day Use — bacterial exceedance

• Tisbury: Hilman's Point — bacterial exceedance

• Townsend: Pearl Hill Bond Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Upton: Upton Town Beach — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Wareham: Shangri-La — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Westborough: Lake Chauncy Beach — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Wilmington: center and right sides of Wilmington Town Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Winchendon: North Camp Beach and day use beach at Lake Dennison State Park — bacterial exceedance

• Winthrop: Donovans Beach and Halford Beach — bacterial exceedance

What are the risks?

There is a high risk of contracting illnesses if you swim in beach water with high levels of bacteria. These illnesses 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. It is advised to check the weather forecast, avoid swimming after heavy rain, watch for signs of water pollution like discolored, fast flowing and strong smelling water, not to swim near trash or litter floating in the water, avoid swallowing the water and swim in areas that are designated as "swim beaches."

Even though a beach is posted on the website, the public is still allowed to visit the location and enjoy other activities not involving do not involve contact with the water. Some activities include playing sports such as volleyball or frisbee, sunbathing or collecting seashells or sea glass, according to the DPH.

People can also help to reduce contamination and pollution at beaches by doing the following:

• 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 .