Mass. beach closures: Here’s where beaches are closed on Wednesday, July 23

Temperatures are expected to start climbing Wednesday, but anyone looking for relief might have to check to see if their nearest beach is open.

On Wednesday, 27 beaches are closed across Massachusetts, largely due to high levels of bacteria in the water, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH). Bacterial exceedance happens when waters are impacted by stormwater run-off, failing or malfunctioning septic systems, combined and sanitary sewer overflows, leaking sewer pipes, illegal sewer hookups, wildlife and pet waste and agricultural runoff.

The ongoing closure at Walden Pond State Reservation is to construct a new, state-of-the-art $6.1 million bathhouse. Red Cross Beach at Walden Pond will remain open without lifeguards. The area beyond the pond, which inspired author Henry David Thoreau to write his book “Walden” and Eagles drummer and co-leader Don Henley to preserve it for its literary and cultural significance, remains open to the public.

Other beach closures, including at Hopkinton Reservoir’s main beach in Ashland and Carbuncle Pond in Oxford, are closed because of algae blooms, also referred to as harmful cyanobacteria blooms. Some harmful cyanobacteria produce toxins that can be dangerous at low levels. Algae blooms are most common in bodies of water late in the summer and in the fall, according to DPH.

• Amherst:Puffers Pond at Mill Street and State Street — bacterial exceedance

• Ashby: Damon Pond Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Ashland: Ashland Reservoir, main beach — bacterial exceedance

  • Hopkinton Reservoir, upper beach — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Barnstable: Keyes Beach on Sea Street — bacterial exceedance

• Beverly: Brackenbury Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Boston:Malibu Beach, Tenean Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Brewster: Upper Mill Pond — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Concord: main beach at Walden Pond — bathhouse construction

• Danvers: Sandy Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Dartmouth: Moses Smith Creek — bacterial exceedance

• Eastham: Cook’s Brook, S. Sunken Meadow — bacterial exceedance

• Holden: Eagle Lake — bacterial exceedance

• Oxford: Carbuncle Pond — harmful cyanobacteria bloom

• Pittsfield:Lulu Pond Beach — bacterial exceedance

• Provincetown:Winston Avenue — bacterial exceedance

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

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

• 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

• Winchendon: North Camp Beach at Lake Dennison State Park — bacterial exceedance

• Winthrop: Donovans 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 .

Read the original article on MassLive .