Community Corner

Feel Like Swimming on Memorial Day? Here's Where it's Safe

The DEEP has tested the waters of the state beaches and lakes for the holiday weekend.

This weekend may not be an ideal holiday weekend with rain forecast to be rainy on Saturday and Sunday but the sun will come out just in time for the parades on Monday. And for those who like to kick off the summer season on Memorial Day with a swim, the state beaches will be open and ready for swimmers.

Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has announced that Rocky Neck State Park, along with a few others, is safe to swim this Memorial Day, according to a press release.
 
The release says that DEEP staff collected water samples from the 23 state park swimming areas and the results from this week’s tests of 22 swimming areas were satisfactory. From now through Labor Day, DEEP will test the 23 state park swim areas weekly, including the four beaches on Long Island Sound at Hammonasset, Rocky Neck, Sherwood Island and Silver Sands State Parks and 19 inland ponds and lakes. 

The public can obtain information on their favorite swimming area by visiting the water quality information page at www.ct.gov/deep/beachstatus or calling DEEP’s toll-free telephone number at 1-866-CTPARKS – option #5. There will be a recorded message indicating the status of state swimming areas.
But for the immediate future, here's your weekend forecast: 

  • Friday Afternoon: Scattered showers. Cloudy, with a high near 67. Northwest wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
  • Friday night: Rain. Low around 50. North wind 11 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
  • Saturday Rain: High near 54. Northwest wind 11 to 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
  • Saturday Night: Rain likely, mainly before 2am. Cloudy, with a low around 41. Northwest wind 15 to 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
  • Sunday: A chance of rain, mainly before 4pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61. Breezy, with a northwest wind 18 to 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
  • Sunday Night: A slight chance of rain before 10pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 47. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
  • Memorial Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 65.
Beaches that are safe to swim in this Memorial Day:
Hammonasset Beach State Park  Madison
Rocky Neck State Park Niantic
Sherwood Island State Park  Westport
Silver Sands State Park  Milford

Lakes and Ponds that are safe to swim in this Memorial Day:
Black Rock State Park  Watertown
Burr Pond State Park   Torrington
Chatfield Hollow State Park Killingworth
Cockaponset State Forest (Pattaconk) Chester
Day Pond State Park Colchester
Gardner Lake State Park Salem
Hopeville Pond State Park Griswold
Indian Well State Park  Shelton
Kettletown State Park Southbury
Lake Waramaug State Park Kent
Mashamoquet Brook State Park Pomfret
Mount Tom State Park  Litchfield
Pachaug State Forest (Green Falls Pond) Voluntown
Quaddick State Park Thompson
Squantz Pond State Park  New Fairfield
Stratton Brook State Park Simsbury
Wadsworth Falls State Park  Middletown
Wharton Brook State Park  Wallingford


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