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TBHA Home > Programs > Back to the Beaches | ![]() |
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Back to the
Beaches
Thanks to the strong advocacy of
The Boston Harbor Association in 1993, $30 million was appropriated by the
State Legislature for the Department of Conservation and Recreation's "Back to
the Beaches" program to restore and enhance Boston Harbor Beaches.
TBHA's on-going work with the MDC, the cities of Boston and Quincy, and
community residents and groups has resulted in the tremendous restoration
of Boston Harbor Beaches including new sand on beaches, new and/or
restored bathhouses, benches, shade shelters, body and foot showers,
walkways, landscaping, and much more. TBHA has played a significant role
in the "Back to the Beaches" campaign since its inception,
including helping develop a detailed report and recommendations for water
quality improvements at Wollaston Beach in Quincy, an educational campaign
to get the public to utilize the MBTA system to the beaches, co-sponsoring
of "Back to the Beaches" summer weekend events, advocacy with
state agencies to facilitate capital spending, and educating the public
about the revitalization of Boston Beaches. Water Quality at Boston Harbor Beaches Water quality at Boston Harbor Beaches has improved dramatically over the past decade due to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority's Boston Harbor Project and water and sewer projects being implemented by the Boston Water and Sewer Commission. These projects are eliminating long-time bacteria problems associated with wastewater discharged into Boston Harbor. The number of days that beaches are closed due to water quality issues has continued to decline. Last year, most Boston Harbor Beaches met swimming standards over 90% of the time. To continue to monitor water quality, Boston Harbor Beaches already have the most comprehensive water quality sampling program for beaches in the country, with samples collected at least weekly at each beach. The water quality testing program includes daily testing at some of Boston's most used beaches, including Carson, Constitution, Tenean, Wollaston, Savin Hill, M Street, and Pleasure Bay. Water quality flags at Boston Harbor Beaches let swimmers know when the waters are swimmable. Blue flags indicate good swimming conditions, and red flags indicate a potential water quality problem. Swimming is discouraged for 24 hours after a red flag posting or after a rainstorm of a half-inch or more. The Boston Metro newspaper provides an abbreviated beaches update every Friday, based on information provided by The Boston Harbor Association, from MDC sampling data. The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and the Department of Conservation and Recreation also maintain websites with updated daily water conditions:
Boston Harbor Beach Descriptions More information about specific Harbor beaches can be
found below.
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The Boston Harbor Association - 374 Congress Street, Suite 609 - Boston, MA 02210 - 617-482-1722 (P) - 617-482-9750 (F) - mail@tbha.org |