Open Water Swimming To Resume At Concord's Walden Pond Friday

CONCORD, MA — Less than one week after Gov. Charlie Baker signed legislation banning swimming outside of designated areas, the Department of Conservation and Recreation will reopen Walden Pond for open water swimming again, but this time with enhanced safety measures.

Wednesday night, the DCR sent out an advisory stating that they will open Walden Pond for open water swimming starting Friday, July 9. New modifications to the legislation include swimming with a bright-colored buoy, following the directives of all DCR lifeguards and personnel, and staying away from no-swimming zones.

Baker signed the legislation last week in response to a large surge in recent drownings across Massachusetts. Baker's legislation would ban open-water swimming and heavily fine those who tried to do so at public water locations.

Passing this legislation was a devastating blow for early morning swimmers, triathletes, and locals who come to Walden Pond just to open water swim or exercise. These swimmers would now have to fit into a tiny roped-off area with buoys and the rest of the visitors.

The public immediately fought back against the legislation, creating a petition that almost immediately got the 15,000 signatures required. Multiple state representatives stepped forward, writing letters to the Governor to overturn the legislation for Walden Pond.

A Facebook group called Boston Open Water Swimming helped spark the public outcry, gaining enough traction to support the petition and garner the attention of state representatives.