Closed Conn. beaches raise swimming safety concerns
With town and state beaches closed around many of Connecticut’s lakes, some officials worry people might go to the few town beaches still open and other waterways not set up for safe swimming.
The five towns around Candlewood Lake decided weeks ago they wouldn’t open their beaches Memorial Day weekend due to the coronavirus. Last week, the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection announced new summer policies, including no swimming at its inland beaches.
That’s the bulk of the public outdoor swimming options in the Danbury area, including Squantz Pond State Park in New Fairfield, Lake Waramaug State Park in Washington and Kettletown State Park in Southbury. Kettletown was closed to swimming last year too because of its history of blue-green algae blooms.
“We’re uncertain of the amount of people who will look to us,” said Tim Angevine, Warren’s first selectman.
Warren officials are working on policies and procedures to keep people safe this season at the town beach, which sits on Lake Waramaug and is open to swimming. He said these policies could change as
they continue to monitor the situation.
“There will most likely be capacity limits,” Angevine said, adding beachgoers will have to buy a pass at town hall or at the gate.
Most of the town beaches, including Warren, already have gate guards and officials feel comfortable they can enforce the capacity restrictions, which are key in helping maintain social distancing — the biggest reason these beaches are closed.
Lake beaches are often small and make it difficult to maintain the recommended 15 feet between groups on the shoreline. Officials also worry people will share facilities, such as picnic tables and restrooms, which could spread the virus. There isn’t evidence the virus is transmitted through water.
Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said he made the decision to close after speaking with DEEP officials a few weeks ago, who said the state would likely close inland swimming for the summer. He also spoke with the other Candlewood Lake town leaders, who came to a consensus they wouldn’t reopen Memorial Day weekend.
Danbury’s beach gets crowded on weekends, making it difficult to limit the park to residents or have police enforce masks and social distancing. The city could also be sued if someone was exposed to the virus at the park.
“I don’t want our police put into the position of fighting with someone over whether they’re wearing a mask or not or they’re not practicing social distancing,” he said.
New Milford Mayor Pete Bass said his biggest concern about state beaches closing is people coming to the area to swim turning to other waterways, such as the Housatonic River, that aren’t safe or conducive to swimming. The visitors also leave behind a lot of debris.
Bass said the town’s park ranger and police department have stepped up patrols of these areas. The town already added safety measures at Lynn Deming two years ago to control who was entering.
“We’re going to continue this monitoring, especially as we go into the warmer and more humid months,” Bass said.
Brookfield First Selectman Steve Dunn said he worries people will try to swim from the property the town owns around Lake Lillinonah.
“Swimming is not allowed at the area but people still try and do it,” he said.
He also expects the state beach closures could drive up visitation to Brookfield’s beach, which is limited to residents. People from out of town have tried to use it in the past and he expects that might increase when the beach reopens.
Dunn said they’re already seeing it at the town boat ramp. People without permits have been trying to use it since the town recently reopened the launch. A town employee us now monitoring and guiding boats on the weekends, which can be extended to the weekdays if it continues.
Brookfield is one of several town parks around Candlewood that started to reopen by allowing boaters and kayakers and might allow swimmers this summer, especially as the state goes into the second phase of reopening on June 20, allowing gatherings up to 50 people. Many of the mayors and first selectmen are looking to guidance from their own health departments as well as from the state.
“We may open up later depending on what the other lake towns do, and also depending on whether we determine that we can enforce the necessary social distancing,” Sherman First Selectman Don Lowe said.
Right now, yellow police tape surrounds the beach and employees are watching the area to make sure people aren’t using it. If it reopens, people will have to show a beach pass or proof of Sherman residency.
Danbury’s parks and recreation director’s office overlooks the park, so city officials will know if people are gathering. City officials will continue to monitor whether to open this summer, but even if they do, Boughton said few people want to be lifeguards during a pandemic.
“Lifeguards are really in hard demand right now,” he said. “That’s going to be our biggest headache if we get the park open.”
Allowing people to gather at the park, but not swim, could also lead to confrontations between police officers and the public, he said.
New Fairfield First Selectwoman Pat Del Monaco is eyeing early July as a possible date to open the beaches, which isn’t that different from the usual start date. The beach doesn’t usually fully open until school is out of session in mid-June, and is only open on weekends from Memorial Day weekend until then.
“We would like to make our beach available if we can and we would like to do so safely,” she said.
She doesn’t expect problems of drawing a crowd if New Fairfield opens before the state because the town beach is small, generally getting less than 100 people, and has limited parking for nonresidents.
“I don’t think it would be a destination for out of town visitors,” Del Monaco said.