Musante Beach in Northampton, closed since July 11 following flooding from intense thunderstorms, reopens Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
“We are happy to say that the beach water test is now within the state’s acceptable limits for safe swimming,” wrote Shelby Michna, assistant director of parks and recreation for Northampton, in an email Thursday morning.
There were elevated levels of E. coli bacteria found in the beach water in tests after thunderstorms dumped water on the northeast, particularly in Vermont, which is upstream from the region.
On July 12, buoy line could be seen pulled onto the beach, with water levels higher than normal. A musty smell was also in the air.
As of Thursday, lines and buoys have been put back into place, according to Michna. The water level is still high due to the recent rains, Michna added.
The beach opening comes as a chance of flooding returns to parts of Massachusetts. Over the past two weeks, flood waters have devastated Vermont and caused the Connecticut River and other Western Massachusetts rivers to swell their banks. The damage was particularly severe for farmers near the swollen rivers, as many of their crops were flooded.
