BOSTON – Want to cool off by the water? July 4th Is it vacation week? First, check this list of Massachusetts beaches that are closed for swimming.
Public Health Department daily Water Quality Dashboard Residents will be notified of any beaches that will be closed that day due to bacterial infections or other reasons, and updates will be made at 9:30am and 12:30pm each day during beach season.
“If a beach is closed, do not swim or enter the water at that location to avoid the risk of illness,” the agency said.
Massachusetts Beach Closures
Here’s the latest beach closure information as of Thursday:
- Damon Pond Beach, Ashby (bacteria overload)
- Hopkinton Reservoir – Main Beach, Ashland (bacteria overload)
- Tenement Beach, Boston (bacteria overload)
- Smiths Beach, Braintree (bacterial overload)
- Cold River Pool, Charlemont (bacterial overload)
- Bucks Creek, Chatham (bacterial overload)
- Oyster Pond, Chatham (bacterial overload)
- Mozarts Pond, Clarksburg (bacteria overload)
- Walden Pond, Concord (bacterial overload)
- Clipper Lane, Dennis (bacteria overload)
- Folins Pond, Dennis (and others)
- Waushakum Beach, Framingham (bacteria overload)
- Dan Pond, Gardner (bacterial excess)
- Lake Mansfield, Great Barrington (and others)
- Hickory Hills, Lunenburg (bacterial excess)
- Kings Beach, Phosphorus (excess bacteria)
- Houghton’s Pond, Milton (bacterial overload)
- Black Rock, Nahant (bacterial overload)
- Washington Street, Nantucket (bacteria overload)
- Berry Pond Beach, North Andover (too much bacteria)
- Pilgrim Lake, Orleans (harmful cyanobacteria blooms)
- Lulu Pond Beach, Pittsfield (bacteria overload)
- Rhoda, Quincy (Transcendence of Bacteria)
- Wollaston, Quincy (bacterial excess)
- Whitehall Pond Beach, Rutland (bacteria overload)
- Camp Naumkeag, Salem (and more)
- Children’s Island, Salem (bacterial overload)
- Ocean Avenue, Salem (bacterial overload)
- Kings Beach, Swampscott (and more)
- Leaside, Swansea (and others)
- Beman’s Pond, Templeton (bacteria overload)
- Long Nook, Truro (and more)
- Long Cove (fresh), West Tisbury (too much bacteria)
- Margaret Lindley Park, Williamstown (bacteria overload)
- Sharon Beach @ Upper Mystic, Winchester (too much bacteria)
- Colonial Acres West, Yarmouth (bacterial overload)
- Windmill, Yarmouth (bacterial overload)
Why are Massachusetts beaches closed?
“Excess of bacteria” This is the most commonly cited reason for the closure, which experts say is due to pollution from runoff caused by heavy rains and sewage overflows.
Some beaches have been closed due to “harmful cyanobacteria blooms” (also known as blue-green algae).
Swimming in water with bacterial overgrowth can cause symptoms such as gastrointestinal and respiratory problems, skin rashes, itching, and ear pain.
