It was a busy end of May, with all the usual Memorial Day weekend remembrances taking place. The (unofficial) beginning of summer around here was blessed with fine, sunny weather. There was more good news as well, especially since it concerns our own local summer enjoyment: South Boston’s surrounding bay, harbor, and open ocean waters are virtually 100% clean, according to actual scientific test results, which were reported to South Boston Online by Save the Harbor/Save the Bay last weekend (Sunday, May 26).
Over the last six years (2013-2018), all of South Boston’s beaches have averaged between 98% and 100% cleanliness. The figure of 98% cleanliness is the equivalent of failing the weekly tests just once in a full, two-year period. The figure of 100% means not failing the tests at all, even only once.
M Street Beach, despite its popularity and its resulting crowds, leads the pack at 100% cleanliness. City Point Beach and Pleasure Bay rank very high at 99%. Carson Beach, which is really the longest and most exposed stretch of South Boston beachfront, comes in at a solid 98% over the last six years. Only the beaches at Nahant and Nantasket in Hull, which are at either end of the local Metro shorelines, rank in that 98%-100% range.
We thank Save the Harbor/Save the Bay for reporting these results to us, as well for all of their joint public/private efforts over the past 30+ years, which have resulted in the most sparklingly clean shorelines and beachfronts anywhere in America.
Pleasure Bay at Castle Island meets the sun.
An always crowded (but squeaky clean) M Street Beach
A tidal flow from Pleasure Bay.
