Legislators call open water swim ban all wet
Group calls for repeal, adding safety measures
Massachusetts legislators are calling on Bay State officials to repeal the sudden ban on open-water swimming at Walden Pond, while pitching safety measures to help prevent drownings.
“We shouldn’t be taking away safe recreational opportunities,” state Sen. Jason Lewis told the Herald on Tuesday, as he worked with state Sen. Michael Barrett on a letter addressing the Walden Pond ban.
“We shouldn’t be pursuing swimming bans and draconian fines,” Lewis said, adding that the state Department of Conservation and Recreation should instead be “expanding water safety measures.”
Hundreds of passionate Walden Pond swimmers have been contacting State House lawmakers after DCR announced last week that open-water swimming is no longer allowed at the Concord pond.
DCR made the policy change following a series of drownings across the Bay State. Since the DCR announcement, scores of fired-up Walden Pond regulars have been signing on to letters and online petitions to amend the ban.
Lewis and Barrett on Tuesday were drafting up a letter to DCR Commissioner Jim Montgomery — and copying Gov. Charlie Baker and Secretary Kathleen Theoharides of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
The legislators in the letter are calling for DCR to rescind the open-water swimming ban at Walden Pond, and for DCR to “instead pursue a variety of non-punitive measures at Walden Pond and elsewhere to improve water safety and help prevent future tragic drownings,” said Lewis, who is himself a Walden swimmer.
“I’ve heard from my constituents who like to swim at Walden, and they just feel strongly that this is the wrong approach,” he added.
Barrett, who represents the Walden towns of Concord and Lincoln, said he heard over the weekend from numerous constituents who stressed how “special” the body of water is to them. “You ought to be able to protect peoples’ lives without banning swimming itself,” Barrett said. “That seems to be an overwrought response.”
The open-water ban came as Gov. Charlie Baker last week filed a bill to increase fines for swimming outside designated areas. The legislation would increase the maximum fine to $500 for swimming in any waters on DCR property that are not set aside for swimming.
Lewis said DCR instead should implement non-punitive measures, including requiring open-water swimmers use a swim buoy flotation device.
“That’s a sensible safety measure,” Lewis said.
Other proposals include: expanding swimming classes and other water safety programs across the state; hiring more lifeguards and increasing their pay; launching water safety public awareness campaigns; and adding more safety signs in multiple languages at popular swimming locations.