Easthampton’s Nashawannuck Pond is closed on Wednesday to allow the pond to be treated to control the growth of invasive plants, but the closure won’t be long.
Waters will be treated with herbicides over a two-hour period on Wednesday, according to the Nashawannuck Pond Steering Committee in a Facebook post. The treatment will be conducted as allowed by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
The city contracted the treatment to Solitude Lake Management to apply the herbicides, the committee said. Water restriction signs were placed around the pond.
Following the herbicide treatment, the pond will be open again for swimming, boating and fishing on Thursday, the committee said. Use of any pond water for drinking or cooking will not be permitted until Saturday, July 22, while allowing livestock to drink from the water is prohibited until Thursday.
Permits to treat the pond were obtained by the city and approved by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the post said.
Various beaches across the state have been closed or deemed unsafe this summer, mainly as a result of high levels of bacteria. On Tuesday, Newburyport closed all Plum Island beaches for this reason. People can still visit the beach as long as they do not enter the water, city officials said.
As of Tuesday, 61 beaches have been deemed unsafe due to high levels of bacteria or advisories warning of the presence of algae or cyanobacteria found in the water, as listed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
