More than 40 beaches closed in Massachusetts - see the list

BOSTON - A beautiful weekend is in store for Massachusetts, but more than 40 beaches across the state were closed on Friday. Most of the shuttered swimming spots are reported to have unsafe levels of bacteria .

The Department of Public Health publishes a dashboard of beach closures that is updated twice daily. Below is the list of beaches that were closed as of Friday morning.

Beaches closed in Massachusetts

Puffers Pond (AKA Factory Hollow Pond), Amherst (Bacterial Exceedance)
Stanley St. swimming hole at Cushman Bridge, Amherst (Bacterial Exceedance)
Damon Pond Beach, Ashby (Bacterial Exceedance)
Ashland Reservoir-Main Beach, Ashland (Bacterial Exceedance)
Hopkinton Reservoir-Upper Beach, Ashland (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
Eugenia Fortes, Barnstable (Bacterial Exceedance)
Constitution, Boston (Bacterial Exceedance)
Malibu, Boston (Bacterial Exceedance)
Savin Hill, Boston (Bacterial Exceedance)
Tenean, Boston (Bacterial Exceedance)
Smith Beach, Braintree (Bacterial Exceedance)
Bucks Creek, Chatham (Bacterial Exceedance)
Walden Pond - Red Cross, Concord (Other)
Sandy Beach, Danvers (Bacterial Exceedance)
Hidden Bay, Dartmouth (Bacterial Exceedance)
Jones Town Beach North, Dartmouth (Combined Sewer Overflow/Sanitary Sewer Overflow event)
Jones Town Beach South, Dartmouth (CSO/SSO event)
Waushakum Beach, Framingham (Bacterial Exceedance/Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
Dunn Pond, Gardner (Bacterial Exceedance)
Greenfield Municipal Bathing Beach, Greenfield (Bacterial Exceedance)
Collette Drive Beach, Holland (Bacterial Exceedance)
Gray's, Kingston (Bacterial Exceedance)
Kings, Lynn (Bacterial Exceedance)
Lynn Shore Beach, Lynn (Bacterial Exceedance)
Grace Oliver, Marblehead (Bacterial Exceedance)
Dionis, Nantucket (Bacterial Exceedance)
Sesachacha Pond, Nantucket (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
Washing Pond, Nantucket (Bacterial Exceedance)
Stevens Pond - Center, North Andover (Bacterial Exceedance)
Carbuncle Pond, Oxford (Harmful Cyanobacteria Bloom)
Broady (Baker), Quincy (Bacterial Exceedance)
Whitehall Pond Beach, Rutland (Bacterial Exceedance)
Camp Naumkeag, Salem (Other)
Children's Island - Back, Salem (Bacterial Exceedance)
Lake Wyola, Shutesbury (Bacterial Exceedance)
Kings, Swampscott (Other)
Leeside, Swansea (Bacterial Exceedance)
Watsons Pond, Taunton (Bacterial Exceedance)
Beamans Pond - Campground, Templeton (Bacterial Exceedance)
Beamans Pond - Day Use, Templeton (Bacterial Exceedance)
Pearl Hill Pond Beach, Townsend (Bacterial Exceedance)
Longnook, Truro (Other)
Card Pond Beach, West Stockbridge (Bacterial Exceedance)
Long Cove (Fresh), West Tisbury (Bacterial Exceedance)
Seth's Pond, West Tisbury (Bacterial Exceedance)
Crow Hill Pond Beach, Westminster (Bacterial Exceedance)
Pico, Winthrop (Bacterial Exceedance)
Winthrop Beach, Winthrop (Bacterial Exceedance)
Yerrill, Winthrop (Bacterial Exceedance)
Lake Quinsigamond-Regatta Point Beach, Worcester (Bacterial Exceedance)

Why are so many beaches closed in Massachusetts?

"If a beach is closed, do not swim or enter the water at that location to avoid risk of illness," the department says.

Heavy rain can send pollution or sewage into the water, leading to increased bacteria levels . Symptoms from swimming in unsafe water can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, sore throat, cough, sneezing, itching, skin rash, earache, fever and chills.

A spokesperson for the Department of Conservation & Recreation said "no swimming" warnings are posted at beaches immediately after test results show high bacteria levels in the water. Follow-up tests are conducted within 48 hours.