Local News

Many beaches remain closed as another heat wave hits

Thirty-nine Massachusetts beaches are closed, primarily due to excessive bacteria or cyanobacteria blooms.

Walden Pond. Dina Rudick / The Boston Globe, File

By Madison Lucchesi

2 minutes to read

Over three dozen Massachusetts beaches are closed in the midst of the summer’s third heat wave.

The 39 beaches, including inland ponds and coastal beaches, are primarily closed due to unhealthy bacteria levels or harmful cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (DPH) interactive beach water quality dashboard. Only one beach, at Walden Pond in Concord, was closed for “other” reasons.

The number of closed beaches is up from 31 on July 25. Temperatures are expected to reach the mid-90s from Monday to Thursday this week.

Massachusetts law requires health officials to track bacteria levels at more than 1,100 public and semi-public beaches. The frequency of testing varies by beach and can be daily to monthly, depending on the area’s susceptibility to water quality issues.

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Runoff pollution, farm runoff, leaky septic systems, overflowing sewers, and animal waste can all cause an increase of beach bacteria levels, according to DPH.

The dashboard updates every hour from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, even on weekends, during beach season.

The list below reflects the latest info as of 9 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 11.

Massachusetts beach closures as of Monday, August 11, 2025

Chelmsford

  • Freeman Lake

Concord

  • Walden Pond – Main (DCR)

Danvers

  • Sandy Beach (Danvers)

Dartmouth

  • Moses Smith Creek

Georgetown

  • American Legion Park

Harwich

  • Seymour Pond

Holden

  • Eagle Lake

Ipswich

  • Sandy Point – Plum Island (DCR) @ North

Mashpee

  • Santuit Pond @ Bryants Neck
  • Santuit Pond @ Town Landing

Methuen

  • Forest Lake: Swimming Beach

Nantucket

  • Sesachacha Pond

Natick

  • Memorial Beach (Dug Pond) @ Wading

Newton

  • Crystal Lake Newton

North Andover

  • Stevens Pond – Center

Oxford

  • Carbuncle Pond

Pittsfield

  • Lulu Pond Beach (DCR)

Salem

  • Children’s Island – Back
  • Children’s Island – Wally
  • Ocean Avenue
  • Willow Avenue

Saugus

  • Pearce Lake @ Breakheart Reservation (DCR)

Sharon

  • Community Center Beach

Southwick

  • South Pond Beach

Springfield

  • Bass Pond @ Right
  • Camp Wilder @ Right
  • Paddle Club @ Right

Templeton

  • Beamans Pond – Day Use (DCR)

Townsend

  • Pearl Hill Pond Beach (DCR)

Wareham

  • Shangri-La

Westfield

  • Hampton Ponds – Kingsley Beach (DCR)
  • Hampton Ponds – Lamberts Beach (DCR)

Williamstown

  • Margaret Lindley Park

Wilmington

  • Wilmington Town Beach @ Center
  • Wilmington Town Beach @ Right

Winchendon

  • Lake Dennison State Park (DCR) @ Day Use Beach
  • Lake Dennison State Park (DCR) @ North Camp Beach

Winthrop

  • Donocans
  • Halford

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