Mass. beach closures: Almost 40 beaches are closed on Thursday, Aug. 7

With weather conditions improving, trips to Massachusetts beaches could be limited based on what is open to the public on Thursday.

High levels of bacteria in the waters of 37 beaches have prompted their closures, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). These high-enough levels of bacteria can produce toxins that can harm people and animals entering the water.

The other factor in beach closures is algae blooms, where cyanobacteria can multiply quickly under certain conditions in freshwater, DPH stated. High concentrations of cyanobacteria can also be harmful to people and animals.

"It will tell you which beaches are open or closed," DPH advised. "If a beach is closed, do not swim or enter the water at that location to avoid risk of illness."

One ongoing closure is in Concord, at Walden Pond State Reservation. The closure will continue for the summer as construction continues on a new, state-of-the-art $6.1 million bathhouse . Red Cross Beach at Walden Pond will remain open with no lifeguards.

• Ashby:Damon Pond Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Athol: Silver Pond Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Boston: Tenean Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Chelmsford: Freeman Lake — bacterial exceedance/harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Concord: main beach at Walden Pond — bathhouse construction

• Danvers: Sandy Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Dartmouth: Moses Smith Creek — bacterial exceedance

• Framingham: Waushakum Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Harwich: Seymour Pond — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Haverhill: side of Plugs Pond — bacterial exceedance

• Holden: Eagle Lake — bacterial exceedance

• Ipswich: Plum Island at Sandy Point — bacterial exceedance

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

• Methuen: Forest Lake's swimming beach — bacterial exceedance

• Middleborough: Camp Yomechas — bacterial exceedance

• Nantucket:Sesachacha Pond — bacterial exceedance

• Natick:Memorial beach at Dug Pond — bacterial exceedance

• Newton:Crystal Lake — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• North Andover:Frye Pond Beach — bacterial exceedance

• North Attleborough: Falls Pond — bacterial exceedance

• Oxford: Carbuncle Pond — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Pittsfield: Lulu Pond Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Salem: back end of Children's Island; Ocean Avenue — bacterial exceedance

• 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

• Swampscott: Kings Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Templeton: Beamans Pond, campground and day use — bacterial exceedance

• Townsend: Pearl Hill Bond Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Upton: Upton Town Beach — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Wareham: Shangri-La — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Westfield: Hampton Ponds at Kingsley Beach and Lamberts Beach — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Williamstown: Margaret Lindley Park — bacterial exceedance

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