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“Restricting open water swimming at Walden Pond is passive and negative, and it infringes on our reasonable right to access the natural assets of our state.”

Walden Pond Boston Globe, File

Massachusetts officials announced Thursday that open water swimming at Walden Pond is no longer allowed, a move that is drawing sharp rebuke from hundreds of swimmers who make use of the kettle-hole lake in Concord. 

The ban went into effect Friday, with the state Department of Conservation and Recreation announcing that all visitors to the park will be asked to swim “only in areas designated by ropes and buoys.” The change, which will be in place “indefinitely,” comes as Massachusetts has seen a series of drownings around the state. 

In a letter to DCR officials, more than 400 residents from around the state called banning open water swimming at Walden Pond a “misuse” of the department’s energy and an “infringement on [their] basic rights.”

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“Restricting open water swimming at Walden Pond is passive and negative, and it infringes on our reasonable right to access the natural assets of our state,” the letter-writers said. “For many of us, we live in this beautiful state because of our access to spots like Walden Pond. Some of us have been starting our mornings at Walden for decades; some find that the long swims across Thoreau’s oasis are our greatest connection to the natural world. Walden also represents one of the safest places for us to practice and hone our sport due to the minimal boat traffic, as opposed to open water swimming in the ocean.”

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Instead of outright prohibition of open water swimming, the group of swimmers proposed officials instead require that those outside designated swim areas use open water swim buoys, flotation devices that are attached to a harness around the swimmer’s waist and pulled along behind them. 

“Most open water swimmers already use such devices and, for many of us, these already offer a great increase of safety by providing necessary flotation if needed and increased visibility of swimmers from other water users (boats, paddle boarders, kayakers, etc),” the group wrote. “This feels like a proportional response and a reasonable step our community can take to help ensure a safer swim environment in our beautiful state.” 

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Officials have been adopting new efforts to encourage public safety and discouraging swimming at undesignated waterfronts in response to the rise in drownings. On Thursday, Gov. Charlie Baker filed legislation that would increase fines for swimming outside of designated waterfronts in the state.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.