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TBHA Home > What We Do > Back to the Beaches |  |
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Back
to the Beaches
Thanks to the strong advocacy of The Boston Harbor Association, the efforts of the State Legislature, and the Senate President William Bulger, $30 million was appropriated by the State Legislature in 1993 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 DCR, 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 restored bathhouses, benches, shade shelters, body and foot showers, walkways, landscaping, access consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act, 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. Special thanks to the Boston Water and Sewer Commission for supporting TBHA’s “Back to the Beaches” efforts. Water Quality at Boston
Harbor Beaches To continue to monitor water quality, Boston Harbor Beaches have the most comprehensive water quality sampling program for beaches in the country, with samples collected at least weekly at each beach during the summer season. The water quality testing program includes daily testing during the summer season 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 Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) test the water quality at all of the beaches along Boston Harbor weekly, and test five beaches daily in summer. Beaches in Boston Harbor are managed by DCR, who are in charge of posting the flags. This information is available in summer from DCR's Beach Water Quality Hotline at 617-626-4972. In addition, daily beach water quality data is made available online by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. To access this information, please click here. As part of the “Back to the Beaches” Program, The Boston Harbor Association coordinated storm drain stenciling activities by volunteers and staff. The stencils are friendly reminders to residents not to dump into storm drains, as the flow goes directly to beaches and Boston Harbor. During the year, Massachusetts Institute of Technology students participating in the school’s “City Days” orientation program joined TBHA, and Quincy City Councilor Doug Gutro in stenciling storm drains from Lakin Square to Labadine Street, part of the drainage area which flows directly onto Wollaston Beach. With funding from Massachusetts Environmental Trust, TBHA distributed absorbent bilge water pads and bilge oilsorbers free of charge to seventeen area marinas for use by boaters. The absorbent products hold and retain petroleum products to keep the bilge clean and reduce the risk of oily discharge into Boston Harbor and pollution onto the beaches. TBHA coordinates a number of waterfront cleanups each spring and summer in an effort to reduce the amount of debris washing up onto beaches. Groups ranging from Starbucks employees to school groups participated in volunteer cleanup projects throughout the summer. Metropolitan Beaches Commission To strengthen the commitment for cleaner beaches, the Massachusetts Legislature established the Metropolitan Beaches Commission in 2006 to take an “in-depth look at each of the region’s beaches, identify the current conditions on each beach, identify the best management practices across the region, and make recommendations that would bring our beaches to their fullest potential as significant recreational and economic resources, ultimately improving the quality of life for residents and visitors, and strengthening our capital city and the region.” The Metropolitan Beaches Commission was the recipient of The Boston Harbor Association’s 2007 Senator William M. Bulger Award for outstanding creativity in solving a major problem of Boston Harbor, in recognition of outstanding service in the development and implementation of a plan to improve the public beaches from Nantasket to Nahant. The 2008 and 2009 budgets for the Department of Conservation and Recreation provided funds to implement the recommendations compiled at the Commission’s community hearings. The Boston Foundation has provided funds for the formation of grassroots “friends” groups to plan and support summer programs at the beaches. For further information on the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s latest beach projects, please visit http://www.mass.gov/dcr/ or call 617-626-1250. Boston Harbor Beach Descriptions
More information about specific Harbor beaches can be found below. Check with the Department of Conservation and Recreation for daily water conditions by calling their Beach Water Quality Hotline at 617-626-4972 or by checking their Beach Water Quality website at mass.gov/dcr/waterQuality.htm.
TBHA Back to the Beaches Events
Cruise with TBHA to Spectacle Island this summer! Once there, guests can relax or swim at the life-guarded beach, hike along the island’s five miles of trails to the top of the north and south drumlins to see spectacular views of Boston Harbor, take narrated tours of the island with the Department of Conservation and Recreation park rangers, grab a snack at the Summer Shack to eat in the shade of a huge pavilion, or explore the exhibits in the Visitor’s Center about Spectacle’s unique scenery and history. For further information about the “Back to the Beaches” program or to reserve spots on one of our free cruises, please contact The Boston Harbor Association at mail@tbha.org or 617-482-1722. |
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The Boston Harbor Association - 374 Congress Street, Suite 307 - Boston, MA 02210 - 617-482-1722 (P) - 617-482-9750 (F) - mail@tbha.org |
Winthrop Beaches
