Latest news with #beachclosure
CBS News
a day ago
- General
- CBS News
Main beach at famous Massachusetts pond will be closed all summer over safety concerns
The main beach at Walden Pond will be closed for the 2025 summer season. The Department of Conservation and Recreation says construction work on a new bathhouse at the famous swimming spot in Concord, Massachusetts poses safety concerns to the public. "DCR has determined it cannot safely open the Main Beach to visitors for the 2025 summer season, while construction for the new bathhouse is ongoing," the agency said in a statement. The $6.1 million project involves demolishing a decades-old two-story bathhouse and replacing it with a new single-story building that is accessible to people with disabilities. Construction is expected to finish in the fall. The new bathhouse facility will have men's and women's bathrooms with changing areas, three family restrooms, a break room for lifeguards and a first aid station. Red Cross Beach at Walden Pond will remain open, but there will not be any lifeguards on duty. DCR is suggesting alternative swimming spots, including Ashland State Park, Cochituate State Park in Natick, Hopkinton State Park, Charles E. Shannon Jr. Memorial Beach in Winchester and public pools in the area. About 600,000 people visit Walden Pond State Reservation every year. The pond and surrounding woods famously serve as the setting for Henry David Thoreau's 1854 book, "Walden." Last year, Walden Pond landed on a list of the "11 Most Endangered Historic Places." Last summer, Walden Beach saw closures due to high bacteria levels, as well as heavy rain that kept parts of the beach underwater.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Popular beach plagued with E. coli is closed AGAIN after unsafe bacteria found in water
A troubled beach in Michigan is closed once again after scientists detected an unhealthy level of E. coli in the water. St. Clair Shores Memorial Beach Park Beach, which sits on Lake St. Clair in Macomb County, has been shuttered to the public since May 21 due to high bacteria levels from an unknown source, MLive reported. Officials with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy last took samples of the water on Thursday. This particular beach is frequently closed due to bacterial contaminations. Officials had to close it seven separate times last summer alone. The longest stretch of time residents weren't allowed to set foot in the water was from late June to late July 2024, when the beach was closed for 26 days. The Macomb County Health Department previously told WXYZ-TV that the shape of the beach is why pollution collects in its waters. That Detroit-based television station interviewed frustrated residents in July 2024, many of whom pointed out that the beach was closed more often than it was open. 'We come here all the time. We don't like it that the beach is not open. It used to be a long time ago, but I don't know why it's not anymore,' Lori Nowicki said. 'Everyone wants to swim here, but they can't because of the pollution,' Ruth Higgins said. Nancy Kilanowski admitted that she doesn't go to Lake St. Clair often, but said she's 'never seen the beach open'. Residents said the area has a staggering number of geese, which experts have said could be the source of the routine contamination of Lake St. Clair. Feces from geese, seagulls, ducks, dogs and deer are the sources of the elevated bacteria levels, said Tom Barnes, the division director of Macomb County's Environmental Health Services. Barnes said rain and wind pushes the fecal matter in the water. If it lingers long enough, contamination problems become a real concern and lead to the closures. Barnes said treating the water isn't a viable solution, rather suggesting raking the beach, moving the geese population elsewhere and keeping trash cans covered. 'As far as treatment of the water goes, I don't see anybody doing any additives or doing anything like that to it. That hasn't come up and just generally with good beach maintenance practices, you can generally get ahead of it pretty well,' he said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
High bacteria levels prompt closures for these Mass. beaches
Due to high levels of bacteria in these bodies of water, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) has closed them for the time being. In total, four beaches are closed, three of which are located in Boston and one in Concord, according to the DPH. The purpose of Concord's Walden Pond closure is to accommodate facility repair work, according to the DPH, which noted that Red Cross Beach will remain open, weather permitting. Once the project is complete, the beach will reopen. Constitution, Malibu, and Tenean beaches in Boston, however, are closed with the reasoning being 'bacteria excess.' Bacteria in the water can come from a variety of sources, including: Stormwater (rain) run-off Failing or malfunctioning septic systems Combined and sanitary sewer overflows Leaking sewer pipes Illegal sewer hookups Wildlife and pet waste Agricultural runoff In order to ensure beaches are safe for swimming, the DPH tests the waters anywhere from daily to monthly, depending on how likely the beach is to have water quality issues and its popularity. If a beach is used often or is prone to water quality issues, then it's tested more often and vice versa, the DPH wrote. Beaches remain closed until laboratory analysis shows bacteria levels are within the acceptable range for safe swimming. 'Laboratory analysis for all beach samples takes approximately 24 hours,' according to the department's website. 'So it is common for a beach closure to last a day or two following an exceedance.' 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 Therefore, it's important to check for any warnings or beach closures indicating that the water could be unsafe. To do this, done check the weather, 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 don't involve contact with the water. This can include anything from playing sports like volleyball or frisbee to sunbathing or collecting seashells or sea glass, the DPH said. The public can also do its part in helping 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. Street flooding possible in Mass. Saturday due to widespread showers, thunderstorms Pentagon boss Hegseth warns of 'devastating' consequences if China looks to 'conquer' Taiwan RFK Jr. slammed raw milk shots with podcast host in the White House Major Trump foe says Republicans keep approaching her with shocking message 'Turning a blind eye to genocide': Mass. Rep. Neal's visit to Ireland protested Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
No Swimming Allowed at California Beach on Memorial Day
Residents of Coronado, California and its surrounding areas are having their fun in the sun limited by swimming bans at local beaches. On Saturday, San Diego County health officials announced the entire western shoreline of Coronado would be closed due to sewage contamination from the Tijuana River, an ongoing problem. "A water contact closure is issued when a sewage spill or chemical spill impacts ocean or bay waters," says the official San Diego County website. "Sewage/chemical contaminated water may contain chemicals or human pathogens that can cause ill health. The Department of Environmental Health & Quality (DEHQ) directs beach users to avoid contact with ocean and bay waters in the closure area." Other areas, like the Tijuana Slough shoreline, which has been closed since December 2021, and Imperial Beach (closed since January) and the Silver Strand (closed earlier this month), also remain shut down. "Beach goers are advised that the ocean water contains sewage and may cause illness," said the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health and Quality in a statement. According to CBS8, lifeguards were stationed on the affected beaches, giving the bad news to tourists hoping to get in the water. "So I drove three hours from L.A. to get in over here to these beaches," said Mario Espinosa. "Everyone talks about how wonderful the San Diego coast is, and look, we come to this beach and we can't even get into the water." The ongoing issues with water quality in the Coronado area have caused frustration for visitors and tourists and led the city to declare a state of emergency in order to hopefully inspire action. No Swimming Allowed at California Beach on Memorial Day first appeared on Men's Journal on May 26, 2025
CTV News
21-05-2025
- CTV News
Calls to prioritize Sandpoint Beach safety after latest drowning
A teenager has drowned at Sandpoint Beach, leading to calls for the beach to close. CTV Windsor's Chris Campbell has more.
