As summer heats up, visitors to New York state park beaches are reminded to check water quality reports before heading out. The New York State Department of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation provides updates on water monitoring, beach classifications, and the status of beach openings and closures on its website.
Updated list: July 10
Four New York beaches are currently not recommended for swimming due to bacteria and algae issues. Here are the closures and advisories:
Beaches closed for swimming
- Long Point State Park on Chautauqua Lake in Alleghany County– Closed due to harmful algal bloom
- Taughannock Falls State Park on Cayuga Lake in Tompkins County– Closed due to harmful algal bloom
Beaches with advisory status
- Hither Hills State Park in Suffolk County– Open with advisory status
Testing and monitoring
New York has 67 state-owned swimming beaches, all of which are regularly tested to assess the public’s risk of waterborne diseases. Beaches are tested at least once a week for bacterial levels. Test results are typically available 24 hours after samples are taken and are posted daily at state park offices, online, and at the beach.
Criteria for beach closures
State officials close beaches when there is a known or anticipated risk to public health or safety. Closures are communicated to the public 18 to 24 hours after an elevated concentration of bacteria is detected. Factors contributing to elevated bacteria levels can include land use in the watershed, stormwater runoff, naturally occurring bacteria in sand or soil, and other environmental conditions.
Types of bacteria tested
Freshwater samples are tested for E. coli, while ocean samples are tested for enterococcus. Freshwater results equal to or above 235 E. coli colonies per 100 milliliters exceed the state standard. For ocean water, results equal to or above 104 enterococci colonies per 100 milliliters exceed the standard, applicable only to the Long Island region.
Beach closure classifications
Beach closures fall into two categories:
- Category 1 beaches: These can remain open with an advisory. If resampling exceeds the state standard a second time, the beach will close.
- Category 2 beaches: These are automatically closed until a satisfactory sample is received.
Common reasons for beach closures
- Exceedance: Bacterial indicator levels exceed the state standard.
- Predicted exceedance (Model): Environmental conditions predict poor water quality.
- Predicted exceedance (Rainfall): Recent heavy rain predicts poor water quality.
- High waves: Rough water conditions.
- Turbidity: Cloudy water that could hinder lifeguards’ ability to see swimmers.
- No lifeguard: Beaches close when lifeguards are unavailable.
- Seasonal closure: Beaches close for the season.
- Cold water: Temperatures below 50°F.
For the latest information on beach conditions and water quality, visitors are encouraged to check the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation’s website before planning their beach outings.