Mass. beach closures: Over 35 beaches are closed on Tuesday, Aug. 12

As temperatures remain high outside, dozens of Massachusetts beaches are closed off to any potential swimmers or beach-goers on Tuesday.

In Massachusetts, 37 beaches are closed on Tuesday, many of them because of high levels of bacteria present in the water, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). Runoff and sewage overflows can increase the amount of bacteria in the water to a threshold where it is unsafe to enter and swim in the water.

Other beaches are closed because of harmful cyanobacteria, or algae, blooms, DPH explained. These bacteria can produce toxins in the water, making it harmful for people and animals who enter the water, as cyanobacteria can multiply quickly under certain conditions in freshwater.

One closure not due to bacteria levels or algae is the closure of Walden Pond State Reservation’s main beach. Construction continues on a new, state-of-the-art $6.1 million bathhouse that will last all of summer 2025. Red Cross Beach at Walden Pond will remain open with no lifeguards.

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

• Chicopee:Chicopee Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Concord: main beach at Walden Pond — bathhouse construction

• Danvers: Sandy Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Dartmouth: Moses Smith Creek — bacterial exceedance

• Essex:Centennial Grove — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Georgetown: American Legion Park — bacterial exceedance

• Harwich: Seymour Pond — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• 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

• Oxford: Carbuncle Pond — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Pittsfield: Lulu Pond Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Salem: Wally, back end of Children’s Island; Ocean Avenue — bacterial exceedance

• Saugus:Pearce Lake at Breakheart Reservation — bacterial exceedance

• Sharon:Community Center Beach — 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

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

• Townsend: Pearl Hill Bond Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Wareham: Shangri-La — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

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

• Williamstown: Margaret Lindley Park — bacterial exceedance

• 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, Halford Beach — 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 .

More health-related stories

• Mass. DPH is investigating Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester — again

• DCR warns swimmers and public of harmful cyanobacteria bloom in Chicopee Reservoir

• Mass. beach closures: Over 30 beaches are closed on Monday, Aug. 11

Read the original article on MassLive .