For immediate release                                                           Contact:          Wendy Fox

May 25, 2007                                                                                                 617-626-1453

 

STATE BEACHES AND POOLS TO START OPENING THIS WEEKEND

 

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will open many of the state’s most popular ocean and fresh-water beaches tomorrow, May 26, the start of the Memorial Day weekend. Spray pools and wading pools at many parks also will open on Saturday.

 

DCR offers more than 80 fresh and salt-water beaches in dozens of communities across Massachusetts.  Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the swimming season, with nearly all of these recreation areas opening to the public and many of the most popular beaches offering lifeguard services. The following ocean beaches will have lifeguards this weekend: Demarest Lloyd Beach in Dartmouth, Horseneck Beach in Westport, Nahant Beach in Nahant, Nantasket Beach in Hull, Pleasure Bay Beach in South Boston, Revere Beach in Revere, and Salisbury Main Beach in Salisbury. Lifeguards will be on duty weekends at these popular beaches until June 16 when lifeguard services will begin seven days a week at these and most other ocean beaches.

 

Fresh-water beaches opening tomorrow with lifeguards are Chicopee State Park Beach in Chicopee, Cochituate State Park Beach in Natick, Hopkinton Main Beach in Hopkinton, Houghton’s Pond in Milton, John A. Pearce Lake in Saugus, Sandy Beach in Winchester, Walden Pond Main Beach in Concord, and Wallum Lake Beach in Douglas. Lifeguards will start at many of the remaining inland beaches on June 16. 

 

DCR’s 29 lifeguarded swimming pools are scheduled to open June 16, and will be open, in general, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Admission to all state pools and beaches is free, though parking fees ranging from $5 to $7 are charged at most beaches.

 

For a full list of Massachusetts state beaches and pools, visit massparks.org and click on “activities.”

 

DCR welcomes visitors to the state’s beaches and pools and encourages everyone to take these simple steps to keep themselves and their families safe:

 

  1. Swim within designated swimming areas only.
  2. Be sure children are monitored by a parent or guardian at all times. Young children should be no more than an arm’s reach away from a parent or other adult.
  3. Learn how to swim. Both parents and children should learn how to swim.

4.      Read and obey all rules and educational signs.

5.      Beware of getting too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, or too much strenuous activity.

6.      Pay attention to local weather conditions and forecasts. Stop swimming at the first sign of bad weather.

7.      Enter the water feet first.

8.      Do not mix alcohol with swimming, diving, or boating. Alcohol impairs judgment, balance, and coordination and diminishes your swimming skills. Alcohol is prohibited in all DCR properties.

9.      Know how to prevent, recognize, and respond to emergencies.

10.  Practice sun safety as well as water safety: Always wear sunscreen, seek shelter when possible, and drink lots of fluids.

 

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