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In first heat wave of the summer, several beaches closed for swimming due to high bacteria counts
By adamg on Wed, 06/19/2024 - 11:02am
The state's list of beaches where you need to not even think of going into the water, include Savin Hill and Tenean beaches in Dorchester, Houghton's Pond in Milton and Walden Pond in Concord.
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Comments
Isn’t this normally an August thing?
I mean, granted, 100’ heat waves are generally more of a July/August thing too.
But I thought the beach/water bacteria problems normally come later in Summer and follow a long stretch of hot weather.
Any marine biologists out there who can correct me or help clarify? Thanks.
Any marine biologists out
The sea was angry that day, my friends. Like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli.
Lots of info here
https://matracking.ehs.state.ma.us/Environmental-Data/recreational-water...
https://www.mass.gov/beach-water-quality
https://www.mass.gov/info-details/recreational-water-quality
The biggest sources of yecch are combined sewer overflows and runoff. Dog poop and other nutrient and bacteria sources add to the mayhem.
What's The Difference Between Walden and Houghton's?
Nothing.
Kettle holes in the woods.
Actually Houghton's has far more protected land around it than Walden. Walden has the Concord landfill nearby. The State was smart and protected the Milton kettle pond, not Concord though.
Makes one think about why a certain segment of people call Walden a sacred place and dismiss Houghton's (where I learned to swim) as the place where the people from Dorchester and Mattapan go. I'd call it racism.
Savin Hill and TinCan are closed? Somebody get on the MWRA to check those CSO's. That's not right if they are closed. It hasn't rained for 5 days. The bacteria counts should not be up.
Oh, come on, surely you know about Henry David ...
Not quite as well known as his cabin in the woods, perhaps (unless maybe you spent 18 months as a reporter in Concord) is just how much the locals hated the guy. And that's why the town built its garbage dump and allowed a trailer park right across the street from Walden.
I'm Ball Busting Of Course
The people who hold Walden as if they are swimming in the Transcendental Ganges kills me.
It's a pond like a lot of other ponds in suburbia. Yes Walden the book is wonderful and the message is great but I don't see the same mantra of "live simply" applied when you have a 7,500 SF house on Monument or by the DeCordova.
Concord and the people who buy into the show endlessly talk about how special their little neck of the woods is.
FedEx wants to use Hanscom? Nope - Flying planes over Lexington, Lincoln and Concord would be wrong, thus "Save Our Heritage" blossomed. It think they are at it again about some other plane related issue.
Somehow "Save Our Heritage" doesn't apply when planes fly over Dorchester Heights or Bunker Hill, though Bunker Hill was much bloodier than April 19th 1775.
It is all BS, just like you can't built tall around Harvard despite it being a transit nexus and you know "Harvard".
The rich hide behind their ancient text and codes to protect themselves from us heathens.
"Secular saint of the sylvan suburbs"
The late Donald Murray's moniker for Thoreau.
Fond Memories
When my kids were young and my husband was a teacher with summers off, he'd take the kids to Blue Hill and then take them to Houghton's for a swim. I would bike up after work to meet them and dive in, bike clothes and all.
One time my younger son was convinced that we were on a camping trip. It really feels like a different world from the city.
Houghton's Pond was also home
Houghton's Pond was also home to Roxbury and South End residents back before the gentrification of those neighborhoods, Roxbury used to be Blacker than Dorchester and the South End was Puerto Ricoville back in my youth.
Magoo sez
Saaaaawwwweeeee. Magoo went on an epic beach hike but right before Magoo left Magoo drank a bottle of miralax unexpectedly and had to do ooopsies at every beach Magoo went to, so Magoo’s ooopsies may be the cause of the high bacteria counts. Magoo.
"Oh Magoo, You've Done it Again!
You made me spit out my Pepsi.