Swimming
There are many choices for places to swim in NYS. Use this page to find swimming spots as well as tips and tools you can use to help keep you informed when swimming in NYS.
NY's waters are great for swimming and water recreation.
Find Places to Swim
- Many DEC owned campgrounds have swimming beaches.
- The Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation swimming information page (link leaves DEC website) lists swimming beaches and pools.
- The Department of Health monitors many beaches; for information about regulated swimming beaches, contact your local health department (link leaves DEC website).
- The Department of Health coastal beach water quality information webpage (link leaves DEC website) can be used to obtain information about the most recent water quality status of certain ocean and Great Lakes beaches in New York State.
Take Steps to Be Safe!
The New York State Department of Health advises that people swim at a beach regulated by the state, counties, towns or villages when possible, because these are monitored for safety and health. DOH will close beaches or post swimming advisories when beaches are unsafe.
DEC periodically samples surface waters, but does not sample beaches and cannot monitor conditions in all waters at all times. Download and print DEC's "The Water's Great in New York State (PDF)" bookmark and keep it handy as a guide for swimming safety this summer.
People who choose to recreate in unmonitored or unregulated water can help protect their health by following the advice below:
- Do not swallow water and consider keeping your face and head out of the water when swimming. This reduces the chance of getting sick from bacteria, parasites or other microorganisms that can enter your body through your mouth, eyes, ears and nose.
- Avoid swimming in cloudy or discolored water as it may contain microorganisms that can make people sick and it can make it harder to see underwater dangers.
- Wash your hands after swimming, especially before eating, and shower when you are done swimming for the day.
- Be extra careful near any dams or large boats because they can create undertows and dangerous currents. Never cross safety wires and other water hazard markers when near dams.
Be informed - Resources from DEC
If swimming somewhere other than a regulated bathing beach, DEC has resources to help you make informed decisions and avoid potential hazards.
DEC has resources to help the public make informed
decisions and avoid potential hazards, if swimming
somewhere other than a regulated beach.
Sewage Pollution Right to Know
Publicly owned treatment works and publicly owned sewer systems are required to report sewage spills, which can pollute waterbodies. Learn more about sewage pollution and the law.
Sign up to receive sewage spill notifications
Sign up to receive sewage spill notifications directly to your phone, email or via text message by signing up for NY-Alert (link leaves DEC website) and selecting the "Environmental" category. For more information on how to sign up visit visit the Sewage Pollution Right to Know webpage.
To find out if there have been recent sewage spills reported in your community or where you recreate, visit the Recent NY-Alert Sewage Spill Notifications webpage, which also includes a spreadsheet of historical sewage discharge reports.
Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Wet Weather Advisory
Avoid swimming, boating, or fishing during or following a rainfall or snowmelt event within a waterbody that has a combined sewer overflow wastepipe. Visit the CSO Wet Weather Advisory webpage to learn more and find out if you live or recreate in a CSO community.
View the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Outfalls Google Earth Map for more information about CSO locations (requires Google Earth to be installed on your computer).
Harmful Algae Blooms
Most algae are harmless, but exposure to toxins and other substances produced by harmful algal blooms (HABs) can make people and animals sick. It can be hard to tell a harmful algal bloom from a non-harmful algal bloom, so it is best to avoid swimming, boating, fishing or other recreation in discolored water that looks like it might have a bloom. Find out what lakes have a harmful algal bloom notice, what you can do to avoid blooms, and more information about harmful algal blooms related to swimming.
Different algae can form harmful algal blooms in marine waters; learn about marine blooms.
Learn about potential health effects on the Department of Health's Blue-green Algae webpage. (link leaves DEC website)
Priority Waterbodies Map
Before going to your favorite swimming place, you can use the DECinfo Locator to check DEC's Priority Waterbodies List (PWL) to see if there are any known water pollution problems. Select "Outdoor Recreational Opportunities Map View," search for an address or zoom in on an area, and click on a waterbody to download the PWL Fact Sheet.
For more information about water quality in certain waterbodies, visit the Waterbody Inventory/Priority Waterbodies List webpage.
