“The weather’s beautiful, the people are great. This is a beautiful spot,” said Paul Padilla, who spent the Wednesday at Middlefield’s Wadsworth Falls State Park.
Wednesday was the perfect day to cool off at Wadsworth Falls State Park for those welcoming in Fourth of July weekend.
“It’s right, it’s beautiful,” Padilla said.
While the conditions were just right, that was not the case earlier in the week when the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection closed the park to swimmers due to heightened bacteria levels in the water.
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“A gentleman walked by an hour ago and asked what happened to the signs that said 'stay out of the water,' so apparently it just opened this morning,” said Meriden’s Bill DiMella, who was one of the first to arrive at Wadsworth Falls on Wednesday.
Wadsworth Falls was one of several state parks that reopened just in time for the holiday. One state boat launch nearby, however, was overtaken by algae blooms that DEEP says can release toxins into the water.
“Pea soup that went bad," said Branford’s Jerry Wynne as he described the water at Dooley Pond. "I’ve never seen the blue colors in here before."
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Jerry said he’s been fishing that spot in Middletown for 30 years, but has never seen as significant a cyanobacteria bloom as he did on Wednesday.
“The algae blooms are pretty common here, but the blue is interesting. I’m not afraid of it, but I won’t eat anything out of it.”
Unlike many state parks, swimming is not allowed at Dooley Pond State Boat Launch, but even for those fishing the water, DEEP warns that contact with the water could be unsafe.
The changes at Wadsworth Falls State Park, and the current state of Dooley Pond, serve as a good reminder to pay attention to DEEP’s bacteria reports before making plans.
“I trust the people that put the signs up, I trust the people that put the signs down,” DiMella said.
DEEP provides frequent updates as to what state parks and bodies of water are open or closed. You can find the full list here.
