Dozens of beaches in Massachusetts are closed on Friday, just as the weekend arrives.
As of late Friday morning, there were 50 beaches closed across the Bay State, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s interactive beach water quality dashboard.
Nearly all of those bodies of water are closed due to harmful bacteria or algae levels, the dashboard indicated.
The dashboard provides updates on an hourly basis throughout the beach season.
Bacterial exceedance
- Amesbury: Glen Devin Condominiums
- Amherst: Puffers Pond @ Mill St.
- Amherst: Puffers Pond @ State St.
- Ashland: Hopkinton Reservoir Main Beach
- Ashland: Hopkinton Reservoir Upper Beach
- Barnstable: Keyes Beach (Sea Street)
- Beverly: West Beach
- Danvers: Sandy Beach
- Dartmouth: Moses Smith Creek
- Dudley: Merino Pond
- Fairhaven: Manhattan Avenue Beach
- Framingham: Waushakum Beach
- Freetown: Freetown Town Beach
- Holden: Eagle Lake
- Lynn: Kings Beach @ Eastern Ave.
- Lynn: Kings Beach @ Kimball Rd.
- Lynn: Kings Beach @ Pierce Rd.
- Middleborough: Camp Yomechas
- Natick: Memorial Beach (Dug Pond) @ Wading Area
- North Andover: Frye Pond Beach
- North Attleborough: Falls Pond
- North Attleborough: Whitings Pond
- Pembroke: Furnace Colony Beach
- Quincy: Broady (Baker) Beach
- Salem: Children’s Island Back Beach
- Salem: Children’s Island Wally Beach
- Salem: Forest River Pioneer Beach
- Salem: Ocean Avenue Beach
- Salem: Osgood Beach
- Salem: Steps Beach
- Salem: Willow Avenue Beach
- Saugus: Peckham Pond @ Camp Nihan
- Taunton: Watsons Pond
- Templeton: Beamans Pond Campground Beach
- Templeton: Beamans Pond Day Use Beach
- Townsend: Pearl Hill Pond Beach
- Winchester: Shannon Beach @ Upper Mystic
- Winthrop: Donovans Beach
- Worcester: Lake Quinsigamond Regatta Point Beach
- Worcester: Smith Pond
Harmful cyanobacteria blooms
- Brewster: Cliff Pond @ DYS
- Brewster: Cliff Pond @ Main
- Chicopee: Chicopee Beach
- Oxford: Carbuncle Pond
- Upton: Upton Town Beach
- Worcester: Indian Lake Public Beach
- Worcester: Shore Park
Other closures/advisories
- Ashby: Damon Pond Beach
- Tisbury: Tashmoo Beach
- Tisbury: Tashmoo Cut
Bacteria levels can rise for several reasons, including heavy rainfall, algae blooms, and sewer overflows.
If a beach is closed, health officials urge people to stay out of the water to avoid potential illness, as swimming in unsafe waters can result in gastrointestinal and respiratory health issues.
The state conducts water quality testing from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Most closures last one to two days, as laboratory testing of water samples typically takes about 24 hours.
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