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Swim Alert: Two NY Beaches Closed, Two Under Advisory
16 Jul
Summary
- Two New York state park beaches are closed due to algal blooms and flooding damage.
- Two other state park beaches are under advisory for high bacteria levels.
- New York regularly tests its 67 state-owned swimming beaches for waterborne diseases.
Two New York state park beaches are closed for swimming as of July 16, 2026. Long Point State Park on Lake Chautauqua faces closure due to harmful algal blooms. Stony Brook State Park in Steuben County has its swimming hole closed this season due to flooding damage, with its wading area also temporarily shut.
Furthermore, Sandy Island Beach State Park and Selkirk Shores State Park, both on Lake Ontario in Oswego County, are currently under advisory for high bacteria levels. These advisories mean swimming is not recommended until further testing confirms safe conditions.
The New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation regularly monitors all 67 state-owned swimming beaches. Samples are tested weekly for E. coli in freshwater and enterococcus in saltwater. Results indicating elevated bacteria levels, exceeding 235 E. coli colonies/100 ml for freshwater or 104 enterococci colonies/100 ml for saltwater, lead to advisories or closures.
