When Is It Safe To Swim At Amherst Swimming Holes?
Puffers Pond. Photo: amherstma.gov
Puffer’s Pond and the Fort River swimming hole near Stanley St, known as ‘Jump Bridge’ are currently closed to swimmers. E. coli levels have risen so high that the town is not only advising against recreational swimming, but prohibiting it.
According to the Massachusetts state government the maximum “accepted level of E. coli for a single sample is 235 cfu/100 ml of water”. At Puffer’s pond the E. coli levels were measured to be 686.7 cfu/100 ml of water as of July 26, 2023.
According to the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance the Fort River was safe to swim in at Groff Park and Amethyst Brook as of July 27, 2023. It is easy to keep up-to-date on water quality testing using this link: https://connecticutriver.us/it-clean.
Amherst’s War Memorial Pool, Mill River Recreation Area Pool, and the splash pad at Groff Park continue to be safe ways to cool off in town. Look here for hours of operation.
Additional Helpful Links
Frequently Asked Questions About Monitoring Water Quality at Beaches | Mass.gov
Recreational Water Quality Criteria
Story on Boston.com: More than 1000 public beaches in MA closed due to high bacteria counts.
